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with 'SWINDON NEWS'
Mechanics' fate in the spotlight
8:07pm Tuesday 1st July 2008
Comments (23)
A GOVERNMENT inspector will today look at the issues facing Swindon's railway heritage.
The Mechanics' Institute will be at the heart of the debate on Wednesday morning.
During Swindon Council's local development framework meeting, Swindon Civic Trust, the New Mechanics' Trust Preservation Trust and other concerned locals will have a chance to air their views about the future of the Railway Village.
The aim of the meeting is to work out if plans go far enough to protect the heritage of the Mechanics' and other historic buildings in the Railway Village.
They will also discuss whether the current plans would prevent incorporating the Mechanics' into the town's cultural development.
Martha Parry from the New Mechanics Preservation Trust said the most important thing was to save the building for community use.
"This is the planning inspector from the Government planning office and she has the last say.
"This is a chance to focus on the evidence rather than opinion to make the most of the Railway Village. We say that at the moment. there is too much missing.
"We want it to be community run and community serving, more than just a community centre.
"Everything needs to be looked at calmly. The canal shouldn't have jumped the agenda.
"We are saying it should be a hub, a community crossroads and a facility for the community as opposed to being for business and the council.
"Businesses and the council have all the power and the money in this.
"The problem with the plans for the Mechanics' has always been the council.
"No matter what their colour, they have never valued the people who already live here.
"They don't want to know what they want.
"They are always trying to involve people from outside Swindon, bring them in for shopping and business, but at the peril of the future of this resource for the community."
Plans to redevelop the Victorian landmark have been in the pipeline since the 1980s, but campaigners said it is no reason to jump to the wrong decision.
"The building is not falling down just yet. It is going to cost a lot more to get it wrong," said Martha.
"We have spent 20 years getting this far and everyone wants to see a happy ending."
The meeting will be held at the Pilgrim Centre, Regent Circus from 9.30am.
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Frontier(s), says...
10:00am Wed 2 Jul 08
Martha Parry from the New Mechanics Preservation Trust said the most important thing was to save the building for community use.
What absolute nonsense.
Isn't the old Railway Museum already compeltely wasted on 'community' uses? Why would we allow another historic and beautiful building be used for 'community' uses?
'Community' type organisations can carry on their oh so worthy 'work' in ANY building, ANYwhere.
The Mechanics should be put to commercial use the will benefit the whole town, not just a few people who live next to it and what somewhere to hold free coffee mornings.
"This is the planning inspector from the Government planning office and she has the last say.
Well, that's that then. We can rest assured that the very worst decision possible will be made. Guaranteed
malkym, says...
11:58am Wed 2 Jul 08
Parry wants to preserve it for the community- well fine thoughts maybe but not practical as we all know given the state of the place and SBC's reluctance to renovate it. Then they wouldn't let Mr S do what he wanted so hey he lost interest -will SBC buy it back at the going rate? not on your Nelly! As BM/Frontiers says - put to commercial use or Mr S paid, the place knocked down and the site developed for the benefit of all -even if MR S ultimately makes money from the venture -and why shouldn't he? Ye Gods save us from these modern day Joan of Arc's like Parry, Saunders, oh and bANNE'd wagon of course -she's quiet -must realise in this instance there aint no band or wagon even! NUKE IT! NUKE IT I SAY!! (only put that in for MTW xx)
Mumstheword, Walcot says...
12:59pm Wed 2 Jul 08
I really wanted to go to this meeting but I booked a pre school jab for my little man yesterday and got a next day appointment (jabs not popular then?!) So could not make it.
Did anybody go?? Can anyone update me??
eminencegris, swindon says...
1:00pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Without exaggeration, it is insane that the mechanics is being left to rot. It's Swindon's finest building (faint praise, perhaps), but just leaving the thing to fall down - and it's surely getting to the point where it's too late to save it - defies all sense. Shame on those responsible for letting this happen.
malkym, says...
1:14pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Mumstheword wrote:You're welcome MTW - pre school jab -amazing that they're teaching boxing now at pre-school - still i suppose that's so they can stick up for themselves when they get to big school - hope your little man gets to grow up in a world that is better than at present and that hopefully he won't have to learn words like gangs, bullying, stabbing, murder, guns & knives, or at least not in the context in which we perceive them to mean in today's increasingly violent world. Don't know about the mtg - Adver will have all the gen soon I expect!
Thankyou darling Malkym for thinking of me xxxxxxxxxxxxx I really wanted to go to this meeting but I booked a pre school jab for my little man yesterday and got a next day appointment (jabs not popular then?!) So could not make it. Did anybody go?? Can anyone update me??
Mumstheword, Walcot says...
1:34pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Peeved, Swindon says...
1:40pm Wed 2 Jul 08
That being the case then.... let the "communities" who are going to use it pay for it! (Not a Chance).
And if the whole population of Swindon IS forced to pay for this for the few, who will they expect to fund their coffee mornings/mothers groups and the assorted minority groups that need a home?
Frontier(s), says...
1:45pm Wed 2 Jul 08
I have a horrible feeling that a lot of what is being put in the way of the Mechanics being transformed into something wonderful is down to pure jealousy.
It appears that Ms Parry believes, Lord knows why, that she is entitled to use the Mechanics as she pleases, yet she has absolutely no claim to it or over it whatsoever.
What would be so bad about the legitimate owner investing in it, transforming it and (hopefully) making it a place that could help put Swindon on the map.
We are constantly told by the Council and New Swindon Company that we need hotels in the town. So, in typical Swindon style, we get endless cheapo £30 a night places.
Why couldn't the Mechanics be a glorious 5* hotel that would attract top quality professionals, business people and maybe even those from the entertainment field - if we ever got a venue for them to play in.
Why would it be such a problem for Mr Singh to make money from the place? I don't know the guy but surely if he was raking in millions from it that would be highly beneficial to the whole town in terms of profile and money brought in to the area - which we so desperately need.
Whether people like it or not, we live in a free market economy. If Mr Singh has the finance and business acumen to transform the Mechanics then so be it, we should support his aims.
What we should not do is allow a historic and unique building crumble to nothing whilst a bunch of airy fairy hippies keep demanding it should become a drop in centre.
malkym, says...
2:55pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Mick out West, West Swindon says...
4:04pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Mumstheword, Walcot says...
4:11pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Mumstheword, Walcot says...
4:31pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Ideally I would love for this building to belong to the people of Swindon, but I do appreciate that this may not happen :( and not everyone in the town feels the same.
I am not entirely against Mr Singh developing it and turning it into a business venture, such as a hotel BUT whatever happens that building is listed and it's beautiful. It's original character lays buried under the years of ruble and broken glass and this SHOULD be restored and can be.
SAVE THE MECHANICS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
I wish Richard Branson loved me :)
yeti, swindon says...
4:38pm Wed 2 Jul 08
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
4:39pm Wed 2 Jul 08
I wish Richard Branson loved me :)
You and a lot of other women, haha!
Mumstheword, Walcot says...
4:45pm Wed 2 Jul 08
LordBelacqua wrote:**** **** **** lol!
I wish Richard Branson loved me :)You and a lot of other women, haha!
Oh and Yeti pls would you read the seaside thread again, last comment.
Mumstheword, Walcot says...
4:51pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Mumstheword, Walcot says...
4:52pm Wed 2 Jul 08
theyellowcanoe, Swindon says...
4:57pm Wed 2 Jul 08
The work done by the New Mechanics Institute Preservation Trust is excellent as it looks at the community of the Railway Village as a whole and doesn't specifically focus on the Mechanics Institute.
Yes, Mr Singh doesn own the building, but he's in no hurry to protect the building. On several occassions recently there have been intruders in what is currently a very structurally dangerous building. The building is often unsecured.
Frontier(s), says...
5:15pm Wed 2 Jul 08
As I've said before, whether you like it or not, a private individual owns it. He doesn't owe Martha Parry, New Mechanics Institute Preservation Trust, the Railway Village or the people of Swindon anything.
It's obvious the so called 'protectors' of the Mechanics will not accept anything other than the building being wasted as yet another vastly overblown community centre - which are dressed up to provide for the whole town but in reality only ever end up as self-serving drop in centres for the select few who benefit from them.
You can hold a coffe morning and raffle anywhere, it does not need to be in one of the most historic and beautiful buildings in the town.
Why wouldn't the residents of the area want a high class hotel instead of an unsound magnet for drunks, druggies and criminals (wow, in some ways it's already like a community centre - joke!)
swindonlad, swindon says...
6:35pm Wed 2 Jul 08
http://www.derelictp
laces.co.uk/main/sho
wthread.php?t=3228
Frontier(s), says...
7:27pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Libertarian, Swindon says...
7:29pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Businesses and the council have all the power and the money in this.
This is not factual.
The Council have to concentrate on building schools, Adult and Childrens care services etc. which are highly expensive and will continue to increase.
To bring the MI up to a usuable standard(but for who knows what) would cost in the region of £10m. These sums of money are just not at the Councils disposal and it is a fairy tale to believe it ever will be.
The Council can only deliver on what it can afford and I don't understand why people can't connect with the real world when they say they don't know what residents want in that area.
Everybody in this town wants something but are often too distant from what is affordable.
We can't keep asking the Council to save this, save that, save everything because it would need to get the money from us, the Taxpayer, and suddenly are responsibilities end and leave it to someone else to pay.
The Mechanics' Institute
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swindonlad, swindon says...
6:16am Wed 2 Jul 08