SWINDON has failed in its first attempt to secure lottery funding for a new museum and art gallery but says it will try again next year.

Last December a bid was submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund in attempt to secure £12.5 million for a new building which would be the centrepiece of a cultural quarter.

The plan is for it to be located in the car park opposite the magistrates' court but Swindon Borough Council has been told it has not been successful.

In total the fund has given almost £100 million to nine projects around the country.

While Swindon’s bid was not among them, there is acknowledgement from the Heritage Lottery Fund that the town's collection of 20th century British modern art and ceramics is of ‘outstanding heritage importance’, and there is a ‘strong case’ to improve its housing and display.

A meeting is set to take place next month between council chiefs and representatives to discuss the exact details of why this decision has been made but the initial verbal response says the bid was broadly positive.

If Swindon is to be successful in the next round of bidding it has been told that a long-term business case to make the site more viable needs to be further developed, detailing governance, management and profit generation.

Another key factor in the bid being unsuccessful is the lack of a plan for Apsley House in Bath Road, the site of the current museum.

It is a listed building and HLF want to see that building put to use before they sanction emptying it.

Council leader David Renard (Con, Haydon Wick) said while he was disappointed there was now a strong platform to move forward with the next bid.

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He said: “We always knew it was unlikely we would be successful in the first round, as many large projects don’t succeed at the initial stage.

"The positive thing is that we’ve come a long, long way and done as much in 12 months as many projects achieve over several years.

“We will now work with the Heritage Lottery Fund to explore how we may strengthen our case further. They agree with us that the collection is outstanding and deserves a better home.

"I am not in any way discouraged by their decision because we can build on the hard work we’ve already done.”

Prior to the bid being put forward, a public consultation was held which showed there is strong public support.

The proposal is for the HLF money to form the largest portion of cash needed to move forward with up to £5 million being put forward by the council and the rest by private investors.

The justification for public money being used is that the new museum and gallery would attract other investment in Swindon.

Isobel Brown, director of Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We will continue to support Swindon’s bid for Heritage Lottery Fund backing towards a new museum and art gallery for the town.

"This project represents an important part of Swindon’s cultural regeneration, and one that will draw visitors and investors.”