THE future of the Mechanics' Institute lies in the hands of five English Heritage experts from London.

The team was given a tour of the Grade II* listed building by owner Mathew Singh this week.

Their recommendation will play a crucial part in determining whether the London businessman's ambitious plans are given the go-ahead.

Mr Singh wants to turn the Mechanics' into a 118-bedroom hotel, restaurant, apartments and health club.

But in February, just hours before Swindon planners were poised to vote on the matter, Swindon Council's planning department received a fax from the Government telling them to not to grant permission yet.

At the time Mr Singh threatened to walk away from the troubled building, but he is now more hopeful that a compromise can be reached.

The decision on whether to lift the block on being allowed to make the decision will be heavily influenced by the recommendation of the English Heritage advisory committee.

Chris Smith, assistant regional director of English Heritage South West, said: "Before I finalise my advice to the government office I wanted internal advice from our advisory committee.

"They have now seen it and we will be making an announcement next week."

Mr Singh promised to co-operate with English Heritage and said he would be flexible.

But he is refusing to compromise on his main objective of a 118-bedroom hotel.

Building a smaller hotel with fewer rooms was not commercially viable, he said.

"English Heritage needed assurances but they're not against the glass hotel in principle," said Mr Singh.

"As with any listed building, their problem is knocking some parts of it down, which is necessary to make it commercially viable.

"It's a choice between our plan or letting the building rot."

Last month the Evening Advertiser reported that urgent repair work had got underway to patch up the roof of the Mechanics' the first major refurbishment in the building's 149-year history.

Workers are removing every slate roof tile, before cleaning them and putting them back.

Meanwhile the entire roof structure will be insulated with felt and underpinned with batons to keep the material in place.

The work was expected to take at least two months and cost tens of thousands of pounds.

The Mechanics', in Emlyn Square, was formerly a community centre for workers at the nearby Great Western Railway and included a grand reading room and library.