Former Swindon museum repair bill ends council interest

Apsley House is the former home of Swindon Museum and Gallery

A parish council's plans to buy a former museum have been withdrawn due to repair costs of £1m.

Apsley House, the former home of the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, has been shut since 2020 and Swindon Borough Council has put it up for sale.

Property consultants Alder King say the restoration costs would be on top of the £850,000 to buy it.

South Swindon Parish Council it was "not viable to proceed" with the purchase.

The council had hoped to buy the Grade-II listed building so it would remain in public hands, according to The Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In a statement on social media, a spokesperson for the authority said: "It was not viable to proceed with the purchase of Apsley House and run it for the benefit of the community.

"Sadly due to the huge maintenance backlog on the building, together with the expected value of the building, parish councillors [have] agreed to not progress with the purchase of the building though they are still taking a keen interest in its future."

'Urgent repairs required'

An assessment by Alder King into the building's condition said: "The property...has a number of items of disrepair with the internal areas in a poor condition and the property as a whole requires upgrade and repair works to bring it back into an operational condition.

"The lath and plaster ceiling in the first-floor room has been cut away...and water was dripping into buckets below. Urgent investigations and repairs are required in this position..."

When it was put on the market in July 2022, Swindon Borough Council said Apsley House was not an accessible building and proceeds from the sale would "be earmarked to help bring forward plans at the town's Cultural Quarter".

Its sale prompted charity Save Britain's Heritage to add it to its 'buildings at risk' list.

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