A BID has been submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund for money to help with building a new museum and art gallery.

As part of the town centre regeneration, the area around the Wyvern Theatre has been earmarked as a cultural quarter, with a new museum and art gallery.

Swindon Council has submitted a bid to Heritage Lottery Fund for about £12.5 million. If it is succeeds the proceeds will make up around half of the money required.

The council is hoping to hear in April whether it has been successful.

Council leader David Renard (Con, Haydon Wick) said: “I think we have got good reason to be confident as we have put in a strong bid.

“To a large extent it depends on how many other bids have been put in this time but we are not aware of many others of this size. We now have to wait until April to find out.

“The council have committed up to £5 million towards the project and we will seek some funding from the Arts Council. There is also a group of benefactors we are talking with, but the Heritage Lottery money will make up the bulk of the funding, so if it is not successful then we will have to wait another year before we can try again.”

An exhibition of works by Turner has been on display at the existing Swindon Museum and Art Gallery which has resulted in a large increase in visitors.

Coun Renard believed this showed a well-run exhibition could succeed in the town, and if the new site received the go-ahead it would be “more than just an art gallery”.

He said: “The Turner exhibition has been great but the museum and gallery would be about displaying the town’s heritage and giving people a reason to come to the town centre.

“We have some plans and we have an idea of how much space we need and costings but even if we are successful with the Heritage Lottery then it won’t open until 2018 at the earliest.

“It took three years for the University Technical College from start to finish so that gives an idea of the scale we are dealing with.”