COUNCILLORS have queried why a planning application has been made to “improve” the Swindon Advertiser building.

The owner of the Swindon Advertiser, Newsquest, has sold the Victoria Road building and is preparing to move to a new premises in the next few months.

Marrons Planning have lodged an application with borough planners to change the façade to the rear of the newspaper officers – opposite the Roaring Donkey pub on Albert Street.

As seen in drawings shared with the council, developers hope to insert new windows into the building’s façade.

However, the developers have refused to clarify the future use of the building. They wrote: “The use of the building is not a consideration for this current application. Future intentions to bring forward alternative uses for the buildings (including the listed structure to the frontage) will be discussed with the council.”

At a meeting of the South Swindon Parish Council on Tuesday night, councillors expressed concern about approving an application for the building without knowing developers’ long-term plans.

Coun Nadine Watts, deputy chair of the planning committee, said: “We’re being asked to say, ‘Don’t worry about the use, do you think this is okay?’

“But I’m worried about if they change the back and it’s prescribed to some uses it might preclude some and be more faithful to others.

“To me, we should make an informed decision based on what the use of the building is going to be to make sure we’re not going down one certain route.

Coun Steve Allsopp added: “A cosmetic change has a fundamental change on the future use of the building.”

Parish Clerk Joyce Holman said that borough planning officers believe that an application will be made to convert the rear of the Swindon Advertiser building to flats.

“This is only speculation,” she told councillors.

The parish council agreed to offer no objection to the application to improve the façade of the building, “subject to retention of its current use”.

In 2014, a planning application was made to erect 49 apartments and a commercial unit on the site of the Adver building. It was subsequently withdrawn.

Managing director of Newsquest Wiltshire, Chris Moore, said: “We are very sad to be leaving this fantastic old building. We have had many happy years here, but unfortunately the building is no longer fit for our purpose.

“I would like to reassure readers, however, that we will not be leaving Swindon and we will remain very much in touch with the community. This is a new beginning for us, with a new, modern building for our modern business, but it will be business as usual for the Adver.”