SWINDON Borough Council could spend £17m on a facelift for one of the town's most historic buildings.

The local authority has already said it will spend £6.5m on giving the historic Health Hydro baths in Milton Road a refurbishment and facelift.

Now it is bidding for an extra £10.5m to go even further.

Of the £6.5m already allocated, £5m comes from central government's Town’s Fund, with £1.5m from the council’s coffers.

It will be spent on refurbishing the main pool and the main entrance on Faringdon Road and improving access to the pool and Turkish baths, the changing facilities and the gym space.

Now the council has bid for an additional £10.6m from the government’s Levelling Up fund.

A council social media post says it wants to “restore the original Turkish baths and spa, create a new community health and wellbeing hub, bringing together health and leisure partners and make environmental upgrades and improvements to reduce the energy consumption of businesses and organisations operating from the Health Hydro.”

Councillor Matty Courtliff, the cabinet member for culture, heritage, leisure and town centre experience said: “As part of our investment in the town centre, plenty of work is going on to ensure our heritage directs its future.

“The Health Hydro is one of our most historic buildings and I’m really pleased to see us apply for more funding to restore and improve it for local people and visitors to enjoy.

“Not only is this an iconic Swindon landmark, it also has national significance as it’s described as the birthplace of the NHS. Railway workers in the town paid into their own communal fund for a healthcare system based at the Health Hydro, which preceded the National Health Service by a century.

“It’s vital we enhance this gem and keep it in use for residents and visitors alike, so that it can be experienced for many generations to come.”

The outcome of the bid for the chunk of £4.8 billion available from the Levelling Up fund should be known by autumn.

The £5m allocated to the Health Hydro already comes from the £19.5m set to be used by Swindon from the town fund.

Other projects using that money include setting up the regular markets in Wharf Green which began this spring,  preliminary work on the Fleming Way and Kimmerfields regeneration, and improvements to Station Road, Bristol Road and Sheppard Street, particularly the pedestrian underpasses and tunnels.

To stay up to date with this project and others in the town centre, visit www.swindon.gov.uk/towncentreregeneration