Questions have been raised over the amount Swindon Borough Council subsidises Lydiard Park and House.

A process has begun to find an organisation which can take on a long-term lease of the historic attractions.

The council says this is necessary to cut an annual subsidy of £450,000 but campaigners have questioned whether this is the true amount.

The Friends of Lydiard want answers as to how the figure got so high and also say some of the costs are split with the STEAM museum suggesting the figure may in fact be lower for Lydiard.

Council chiefs have said the figures are fully audited but vowed to check exactly how much is split between the two sites.

However, the Friends, which earlier this week issued a list of ‘red lines’ it doesn’t want breached during the lease, say if the cost to the council is not that high there are other ways which to not involve handing over control of Lydiard.

Mike Bowden, of the group, said: "The Friends believe the subsidy or investment in Lydiard by the council is seriously overstated.

“A report commissioned by the council in 2011 states the subsidy was only £350,000. Since 2011 the catering profit at Lydiard has been put into the Lydiard accounts which generated a profit of £73,000 last year.

“In recent years the council have implemented an efficiency drive by combining many of the operations at STEAM and Lydiard to obtain economies of scale and reduced staff numbers which presumably would not have been sanctioned unless it reduced the subsidy still further.

“We think the true subsidy is at a level which seriously questions the need for this radical and rushed process.”

The group want the council to look at the possibility introducing car parking charges as a way of tackling the subsidy.

It is a view backed up by the Labour opposition, which wants to see clarity over the figures.

Councillor Jim Robbins (Lab, Mannington and Western) said: “I know a lot of people have concerns about exactly what is spent on Lydiard and I share that.

“It’s important we get to the bottom of it before we move forward with this process.”

Despite the calls, Councillor Garry Perkins said while they have yet to speak with any organisations about taking on the lease, the process will continue, although he will closely examine exactly what is spent where.

He said: “The council’s accounts are audited by a professional company and I have full faith in their figures.

“But I have asked to get an exact breakdown of what is spent in STEAM and at Lydiard. We have some staff who work with both so it is a case of seeing how they split their time.

“I would be shocked if it changed the subsidy by a huge amount but even if it did, we are not just looking to cut the subsidy.

“We want to invest in the park’s future but the council can’t currently afford to do that. I agree with all of the red lines the Friends have come up with apart from stopping the process.”

A second public consultation event will take place today at the visitor centre in Lydiard Park.