The Mechanics Institute was not built by Swindon town, but by the Great Western Railway largely for the use of their employees.
Subsequently the Institute passed to British Rail Western Region. BR did nothing with it for many years, neither was it offered in good condition to Swindon at a figure the council could afford. Eventually, after further years of neglect, it was offered to the borough for £1 but by then the estimated cost of repairs was up to the million pound mark.
How the borough came to be finally responsible for it, I know not.
However, with the national policies of the government in the 80s and 90s it left the borough with much outstanding work in the field of housing repairs etc.
It is easy to say "only £50,000 from the borough" towards restoring the Institute, but should not Ms Parry and her colleagues be looking to the successors to BR for their money?
When people need housing and services, listed buildings should surely be at the bottom of the pile. And regarding Lydiard House, unless it will ultimately pay for its own restoration, please council think again.
T W COMBS
Lansdowne Road
Swindon
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