SPRING is in the air and the Mechanics' Institution Preservation Trust has been using it to remind people that the campaigners have not gone away.

The Trust, which wants to see the Mechanics' Institute returned to its former glory, has tied two daffodils to each of the railings around the building - a total of 2,500, one for each member of the Trust.

The Grade II* listed building is currently owned by developer Matthew Singh, who hopes to attach an eight-storey hotel to the landmark building in Swindon's Railway Village.

Planning permission has been refused each time.

The Trust has now been awarded Listed Building Consent, which means that their plans can go ahead, should they obtain the building.

Daniel Rose, newly appointed chairman of the trust, said that the daffodils had made an impact.

"It was a lovely way of getting the public to remember the issue and it clearly seems to have done so as people keep slowing down to look," he said.

"The time has come for a fresh look and decisive action in the interests of returning this core facility to the town's people, by whom it was built," he said.

"Despite the prominence of a small section of scaffolding, no significant work has been noted since the rest of the scaffolding was removed two years ago."

The Trust is now calling on the council and the town's MPs to assist in enforcement action and the group will also be applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

They are also asking Mr Singh to consider selling the Institute to them.

But Mr Singh says he is still hopeful of getting his plans off the ground and is meeting the council to try to move his proposal forward.

He said: "To get listed planning consent is one thing, to get full planning permission is a totally different issue.

"This has not moved anything forward because they don't own the building and they haven't got planning permission."