IF YOU are as old (or older) than me, or even if you are a little bit younger, you will have reached that age when your concerns are not so much for yourself as the legacy we leave future generations.

As many readers of this column will know, I have a great interest in local history, and while I do not claim to be an expert in many subjects, I will say that when it comes to Swindon’s history, I know my stuff.

I co-founded and edit a magazine called Swindon Heritage, I co-founded and am the vice-chairman of the Alfred Williams Heritage Society, and, among many other things, I sit on Swindon Council’s Heritage Board, which is supposed to have some influence in heritage policy, but currently exists to rubberstamp councillors’ own uninformed ideas.

This is the season for looking back on the last 12 months, and earlier this year I was proud to be a part of an extremely hardworking team of volunteers who organised a week of events to honour Swindon pilot Sqn Ldr Harold Starr, which culminated in a royal visit and a flypast by six aircraft of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Sadly, our pride in Swindon and its magnificent history came crashing down to the ground, just days later, when councillors announced their intention to lease Lydiard House and Park to the highest bidders.

It is not my place to comment on the party politics of withdrawing subsidies from public assets like Lydiard. But there is another issue.

If the borough council are not capable of managing them effectively, then before asking commercial companies to take over and cash in, possibly leaving us with only partial access to the park, they should first look for a local solution.

Not content with loading the dice in favour of businesses motivated by potential profits, the councillors’ unholy haste in rushing the process means local people have nowhere near enough time to step in with their ideas for running it.

As well as Lydiard’s rich history, its story is also interesting because of the way it came into public ownership.

Independent councillor Francis Akers used his own money to buy the house and park in 1943 – not for himself, but so he could gift it to the people of Swindon in perpetuity.

So let’s be clear on this: History tells us it is not for current councillors to hand Lydiard over, and certainly not without first working with the people of the town, who effectively each have an individual share in the house and park.

Sadly, although councillors like to say they value our heritage and want to involve the public in decision-making, they never do.

They have failed to even properly acknowledge a petition that has gathered more than 7,000 signatures from concerned council tax payers. Neither has there been any meaningful dialogue with interested parties.

I meet lots of people who complain about the loss of historical buildings like the Baptist Tabernacle and the neglect of the Mechanics’ Institute, and now the heritage of Swindon is under threat again. It seems our only hope is to generate enough noise to force the council to reconsider.

If you care about our heritage, please sign the petition (on change.org) as a start. But please also join me at a public meeting to discuss the issue at Lydiard Park Academy on January 12, at 7pm. If Lydiard is lost, we should never forgive councillors for giving away control. But if we stand by and let them do it, we surely won’t be able to forgive ourselves, either.