A FLAGSHIP library, museum and art gallery modelled on a successful scheme in Bournemouth could be built next to a revamped Wyvern Theatre as plans to gut the concrete centre of Swindon shape up.

Council planning officers are undertaking a feasibility study to assess the possibility of constructing a purpose-built complex in an area of town renowned for being drab and run-down.

The study will look at how the council could build the complex, which would house most of the authority's external facilities, such as tourist information and front line services.

It will also explore potential obstacles such as demolishing the Wyvern's surface level car park and the financial implications, although one of the options available is a private finance initiative, similar to the one used to fund the £150 million Great Western Hospital.

The overall scheme, which is being based on a development in the heart of Bournemouth town centre, forms part of plans by the New Swindon Company and the University of Bath for a cultural quarter for Swindon.

A new building would mean the closure of the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery in Bath Road and the town centre tourist information office in Regent Street. It could also include shops, caf and exhibitions. The scheme would link in with an enlarged Wyvern Theatre whose capacity would be extended to 1,000 seats. It can currently hold 617 people.

Councillors and officers have already been to the south coast to look at Bournemouth's library, which also houses an art gallery, shops and caf.

The building, a private finance initiative, cost £9.5 million to build and has been shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award 2003.

Justin Tomlinson (Con, Abbey Meads), the council's lead member for culture and recreation, said: "What is being talked about is a super flagship development in which to house a central library, museum, art gallery and frontline council services. This is very exciting for Swindon and is something residents and business both want to see.

"I believe it would be better value for money building one super development. I can't emphasise enough how well Bournemouth has done with its library usage is going through the roof."

The hot potato of where to locate a new central library has rumbled on for the past 30 years with the Mechanics' Institute, the former Railway Museum in Faringdon Road and more recently the Brunel Centre, touted as possible venues.

But most councillors and residents want to see a new stand-alone building and the Theatre Square area is seen as an obvious location.

Council leader Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawns) has already said that the library is a priority and the authority is committed to extending its maximum borrowing limit as one way of funding it.

This is who the Wyvern can't attract

ANY plans to build a new library as part of a cultural quarter for Swindon would also form part of a larger vision to enlarge the Wyvern Theatre in a bid to attract top acts and personalities from the world of showbiz.

And it would ultimately become a major part in the cultural renaissance that councillors, the NSC and residents desperately want to see in the centre of town.

Some of the more recent names to appear at the Wyvern, whose capacity is just 617 seats, include Daniel O'Donnell, Freddie Starr, Matt Goss and Les Dennis.

The Bristol Hippodrome can boast stars such as Darren Day, Paul Nicolas and Michael Ball and shows such as Spirit of the Dance.

Meanwhile the Reading Hexagon has attracted A-list celebrities such as James Brown, Craig David, Lee Evans, Mystique, Ocean Colour Scene and staged shows Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

And the Oxford Apollo has played host to Daniel Beddingfield, Darius and Busted from the world of pop, Bryan Ferry, Chris Rea, Van Morrison and Harry Hill.

A lot of the so-called big name celebrities have been put off coming to the Wyvern because they have to pay for expensive car parking. Last year three actors blacklisted the theatre because of its extortionate parking charges. Former Doctor Who star Colin Baker, who starred in the latest Christmas pantomime, Dick Whittington, resorted to parking in the County Ground to avoid paying charges of up to £30 a day.

The Wyvern is a stereotypical example of faceless 1960s and 70s architecture with massive sprawls of dark concrete the first thing many theatregoers see when they approach it from Princes Street. Some have even suggested knocking the entire complex down and starting again.