A PINEHURST residents’ group was left stunned after a vacant portable building it wanted to repair and put into community use was demolished.

The building in Linden Avenue was most recently used by hairdresser Good Company 2, while The Circle’s retail area was being redeveloped. Before that it was used by the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Simon Halls, chairman of Pinehurst Initiative Forum (PIF), said everyone had been left demoralised by Swindon Borough Council’s decision.

PIF had submitted a bid to officially make the building a community asset under the Localism Act, which would protect it from demolition, but the building was flattened last week.

Mr Halls, 43, said: “They were likely to do it at some point. We were told back in October they were possibly going to demolish it whilst we got the legal thing in place to save it and do something positive.

“None of the local residents had been notified and for most residents the first they knew about it was when the bulldozers and lorries turned up.

“We feel really disappointed that the council hadn’t taken the chance to work with us, kept us in the loop or been communicating with us.

“We just feel really demoralised by it happening like that, without any communication.

“A lot of people were really excited by the potential of the project and by losing it, people became really upset.”

PIF wanted to use the cabin for a men’s shed project to encourages older men to share DIY skills, as a bike repair workshop, or as an extension of the community garden at Pinetrees Community Centre.

Mr Halls disagreed with council officer recommendations for demolition and was convinced the community could have repaired the building at a cheap rate for the authority.

Coun Ray Ballman (Lab, Gorse Hill & Pinehurst) said the council felt the building was beyond repair and she failed to see why the demolition would have been a shock for Mr Halls, saying he had been informed of the September survey which recommended that outcome.

She also said he had been party to an email on January 7 that stated the procedure would be undertaken in early spring.

She said: “It was not a surprise. He knew it was coming down in January. I’m surprised he was shocked.

“Mr Halls had all the information. I sent an email to Andy Reeves (locality lead) on January 6 and the reply said the building was earmarked for demolition in the early spring.”

The council is moving forward with its own plans for the site and has invited stakeholders to a consultation event at Pinetrees on Wednesday from 2pm-7pm.

It is consulting on the introduction of local development orders for independent living bungalows on the site.

The orders would grant planning permission for such bungalows and remove the need for a planning application to be made.