Swindon Museum and Art Gallery campaigners promised announcement next week

Swindon Council has come under fire locally and nationally for closing the building in Bath Road because it fell foul of disability discrimination laws.

More than 3,000 people have signed a petition organised by the Friends of Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, calling for the facility to reopen.

The council has also been criticised by the sector’s professional body, the Museums Association, and by the Council for British Archaeology.

Campaigners have accused the authority of closing down the museum with no clear plan for its replacement.

But cabinet member for culture and heritage, councillor Robert Jandy, said the council would be making a major announcement next week.

“A lot of work is going on behind the scenes. Nothing is going into storage. All appropriate stakeholders are being involved in in-depth conversations.

“Nothing is hidden and all options are being discussed.

“We would urge people to be patient and to watch this space.

“We live in a democracy and people are passionate about what we have in Swindon – as am I.”

Cllr Jandy has previously said that the museum building needs hundreds of thousands of pounds of repairs, aside from extra work to make it compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act.

The council has long-term plans to site a new museum and gallery in a planned £77 million cultural quarter at Kimmerfields in the town centre.

It has suggested that other authority buildings might be used to showcase the collections which had been housed in the museum in the medium term.

But conservation bodies say this could be a poor substitute, and that the long-term scheme is mired in uncertainty.

Council for British Archaeology executive director Neil Redfern said in an open letter to the council: “As we understand it there is no detailed plan in place for the new facilities or agreed budget and timescale for delivery of the cultural quarter.”