On the morning of Friday 10 April, a fire broke out on the top floor of the
southern section of the Grade II* Mechanics’ Institution. Police have confirmed they are
treating the incident as arson.
The response from the fire service was rapid and minimal damage has been reported.
Sadly, this situation was entirely predictable.
For years, urban explorers and young children have broken into the Mechanics with
impunity. In the last fortnight we have seen and reported dozens of teenagers entering the
building with little to no regard for their safety or the heritage of the building.
This time we got lucky. Next time, we may not.
After speaking with partners, there is consensus that we are at a turning point. Friday was a
wake-up call. We will not get a second chance to save our heritage.
We are now working with Swindon Borough Council to ensure rapid action is taken to make
the building completely inaccessible.
Urgent steps include the replacement of boardings on external windows and doors, and the
sealing of the access point used by vandals and so-called urban explorers.
New security measures will also be put in place to ensure any future incidents are
prevented.
But we know this does not go far enough.
The only viable solution is the rescue and comprehensive restoration of the Mechanics’
Institution.
Over the past year, we have held conversations with the Council, representatives from the
political parties, professional consultants, national funding bodies, and national heritage
bodies to explore how we can work together to reach a sustainable solution.
Fundamentally, there are two issues which need to be resolved to unlock restoration:
ownership and funding.
After much work and effort, we believe we have now identified a realistic route to rescue the
building.
We know how much rescue and restoration will cost. We know how we would sequence the
various stages of conservation. We know where we can apply for funding. And we have
proposed a new cooperative ownership model.
Negotiations are ongoing but we are hopeful that a sustainable future for the Mechanics’
Institution is now within reach.
Once the elections on 7 May are behind us, we will reconvene with partners and look to
agree next steps.
In the next few weeks, we will ensure the building is totally sealed off and secured, ready for
a future rescue package.
Because if we fail to invest in our heritage, we will lose it.
Swindon Heritage Preservation stands ready to work with partners to realise a sustainable
future for the Mechanics’ Institution.
