South Swindon Parish Council has revealed why it chose not to buy the former Swindon Museum building Apsley House.

The museum and art gallery housed in Apsley House was closed, with Swindon Borough Council in the process of relocating it into the town centre headquarters building on Euclid Street. 

The 19th-century Grade II listed building was then put up for sale. 

This prompted South Swindon Parish Council to trigger a temporary suspension on the sale of Apsley House to private interests in order to allow them to see if they could build a business case to purchase it and keep it in public use. 

However, on January 5, the parish council announced that it had decided not to pursue this any further. 

In a statement on social media, a spokesperson said: "In December the Parish Council took the decision it was not viable to proceed with the purchase of Apsley House and run it for the benefit of the community.

"The building previously housed Swindon’s Museum and Art Gallery but was closed in March 2020- due to Covid. The Museum and Art Gallery never reopened in the building.

"Sadly due to the huge maintenance backlog on the building- together with the expected value of the building- Parish Councillors agreed to not progress with the purchase of the building though they are still taking a keen interest in its future."