SWINDON Council’s regeneration chief, Garry Perkins, is satisfied the owner of the Victorian former technical college in Old Town will maintain the historic structure and bring it back into use as soon as possible.

Ashfield Land bought the former Swindon College site in 2006 and has started work to build a new leisure and retail complex on the former location of the 1960s part of the site.

The developer also has planning permission to convert the old Technical College, fronting Victoria Road, into office space and was recently granted revised permission to allow this work as a second phase.

Coun Perkins, the cabinet member for economy, regeneration and culture, recently met with Ashfield Land director, James Digby, to discuss the future of the building, which is not listed, after concerns were raised following an arson attack there earlier this year.

He said he was assured the conversion would start after the leisure complex was built in about 18 months and the firm had recouped cash to invest in the second phase.

He said: “They said they don’t have huge amounts of money to spend on it at the moment but they will keep the building secured. It’s very much part of their plans going forward to maintain the structure of the building.

“And they’re very honest. They could have come up with all sorts of stories but they were straight.

“This is what they will be doing and they will be doing the work on it etc. We have to make sure the building is maintained in a secure situation.

“I would expect checks to be carried out by Swindon Borough Council during the period to check there’s no further vandalism.”

Coun Perkins, who was joined at the meeting by planning officers and council leader, Coun David Renard, said Ashfield Land saw the financial value in maintaining the building and bringing it back into use as quickly as possible.

He added: “I have been assured from the developer there that once phase one is complete, they will be turning their attention to phase two which is the old college building there, bringing it back into use.

“It makes sense for them, they have invested their money so the sooner they can bring it back into use, the sooner they can get their money on it.”

Coun Stan Pajak, Lib Dem group leader, has previously called for the structure to be listed, but Coun Perkins said this would not stop determined arsonists – and could even hold back its conversion.

He said: “There’s so many more hoops the developer would have to go through.”