THE council was involved in discussions about turning part of the Health Hydro into flats before news of the plans broke last month, according to a claim by GLL.

The man in charge of delivering the firm’s vision for leisure in the town said that Swindon Borough Council encouraged the company to “float” the idea, but after doing so they have been left to take the blame.

GLL have become the target of strong criticism from heritage groups and the public over what many have described as a disregard for the historical value of the Milton Road site.

But Jamie Coleshill, regional director, said they had been having discussions with the council for some time prior to the plans being pitched.

“They’ve been listening to my ideas, they said float them and see what people say,” said Mr Coleshill.

Asked whether in doing so, GLL had been made to look like the sole enemy, he said: “Yes, I think that’s exactly what has happened.”

And Mr Coleshill said action must be taken to save the building becoming derelict like its neighbour the Mechanics' Institute, another controversial local landmark the future of which remains uncertain.

He was speaking following a meeting between GLL and Health Hydro stakeholders including swimming groups and heritage bodies.

The prospect of introducing flats at the Hydro was a key topic of discussion - GLL said they were willing to listen to the concerns raised, but they also cautioned that a do-nothing approach was not realistic.

GLL took over leisure in Swindon as a loss making venture in 2014 with the hope of turning it around.

Improvements have been made, including an increase in annual visits from 680,000 to 1.4 million, but the six-site portfolio is not yet profitable.

Of all the sites, the Health Hydro is the biggest financial drain for the firm.

Mr Coleshill said: “We’ve put a lot of money into this building just dealing with mechanical issues, it needs a lot of work doing.

“There’s a lot of space here that we need to look to do something with.

“My objective is to sustain this building - I want to be looking at a 50 year commitment not just five years.

“I don’t want it to end up like the Mechanics’ Institute. My fear is that without something being done, the building will keep going down that route.”

Mr Coleshill pointed to two other leisure facilities, both in London, where dilapidated heritage buildings had been refurbished to offer a high-end leisure service.

The difference between the Health Hydro and those two sites - the Poplar Baths and Marshall Street Leisure Centre - is that both London locations had been derelict for some time prior to the projects being launched.

The result was that local residents and campaign groups were already faced with a situation of having an empty building or making substantial changes to allow it to re-open.

That is not the case in Milton Road and campaigners are keen that the decision is not presented in such a binary fashion.

As a result of Friday’s meeting, a working group has been established to include heritage representatives along with someone from the swimming clubs and an officer from Swindon Borough Council.

The group will carry out an options appraisal to see if alternatives to housing can be found while still securing a financially viable future for the site.

“If anything good has happened out of this it’s that people want to take action,” said Mr Coleshill.

“For the last 20 years no action has been taken to secure this building. Now we will look at the options, some people aren’t keen on residential leisure but that is just one possibility. Other options will be drawn out by the working group.”

In response, Coun Mary Martin, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for communities, said: “We regularly talk to GLL in our capacity as landlord of the many leisure centres it runs on our behalf. We have encouraged GLL to discuss the future of the Health Hydro with us.

"It is a facility with the option of a hand back to the council after five years and we are very keen that it has a long-term sustainable future as a well-used and modern leisure and swimming facility, while maintaining the heritage aspects of the building.

"It does require significant investment and the Council does not have the expertise or the necessary funding required to achieve this, which is why GLL was appointed to run our leisure provision.

“The proposals passed to the media before Christmas were ideas for initial discussion with key stakeholders. We recognise many residents have the long-term future of the Health Hydro at heart and we are keen for a strong discussion on the options available.

"We look forward to working with GLL so a full options appraisal can be developed to assess the best ways of securing the building for many years to come.”