POLITICIANS and community groups have been reacting to the news that the man tasked with delivering a new museum and gallery has resigned after just months in the job.

Hadrian Ellory-van Dekker is a former head of collections at the Science Museum. His appointment last year as director of the Swindon Museum And Art Gallery Trust was heralded as the start of a new era for the project.

His resignation casts doubt on the viability of the project and, in particular, whether a £10m bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, due to be submitted in November, now stands a chance of success.

The trust has said Hadrian’s departure was due to personal reasons.

However, the Adver understands that he was frustrated by a lack of progress and the failure to energise public opinion around the vision for an extravagant multi-million pound building.

The chairman of the trustees, Robert Hiscox, was also expected to confirm his resignation on Wednesday but was persuaded to stay on by fellow trustees.

He said: “We are very sad that Hadrian will be leaving, but we understand his decision in the circumstances.

“He has been very active on behalf of the trust and already achieved a lot since he has been with us, and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with him.”

The trust is planning to push on with the project, although the form that it will take remains to be seen. A public information event planned for later this month is still due to go ahead.

Council leader David Renard paid tribute to him. He said: “It’s clearly a significant blow because Hadrian has a great deal of knowledge and experience in this field and I think had the ability to deliver the project.

“It is a setback and next week we will evaluate where we are and work out how to move forward.”

Coun Renard wouldn’t be drawn on whether a November funding bid was still realistic but said it was an issue that would have to be addressed in the coming weeks.

Labour have pointed the finger of blame at the council for their role in the project’s faltering start.

Coun Jim Robbins, the Party’s leisure and culture spokesman, said: “The Labour group is disappointed to hear of Hadrian’s resignation, and puts on record our thanks to him for the work he did for the town. It is clear that the lack of public and council support played a part in this decision.

“We are calling on the administration to start the process to consult on new strategies for heritage and culture.

“We will not succeed in regenerating the town until we properly engage with the public and agree on a way forward.”

Coun Renard hit back at the criticism, saying it was nonsense the council had not engaged. He cited the role of the Friends Of The Museum And Art Gallery and the community representation on the Heritage Board as evidence of attempts to involve residents in discussions.

In the wake of Hadrian’s resignation, attention will shift to calls for the trust to abandon plans for a new-build museum and gallery and look to the Carriage Works in London Street instead. A petition backing this has been signed by more than 700 people.

Campaigner Ana Kelly, who started the petition, said: “I am saddened by the waste of hard work and resources put in by so many.”

“However, I and so many people would welcome the end of the new-build plans.

“If full public consultation had happened earlier, the fact that this project was never going to achieve sufficient public support would have been evident.”

Putting the museum and art gallery in the Carriage Works was a key part of the vision for the railway village set by the Mechanics’ Institution Trust.

Trust director Daniel Rose said: “We have held the view that the project was untenable in terms of the lack of community involvement and the inappropriateness of the site chosen.

“We hope this situation will allow time for key stakeholders to agree a coherent and long term strategy for our heritage and culture which is in the interests of local people and has them fully involved.”