School students might receive education at a grand mansion

Plans are underway to transform a Grade One listed property into educational spaces as part of a 700,000 initiative. Swindon Borough Council intends to accommodate up to 120 pupils from Lydiard Park Academy at Lydiard House, following the closure of the academy's sixth-form facility due to structural concerns.

Cabinet member for planning, Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, emphasized that the project would secure continued education for students while revitalizing the renowned heritage site.

However, leaders of the Friends of Lydiard Park have voiced concerns that introducing a school could undermine the property's historic and community value.

The council will review the proposals for Lydiard House, a building with origins in the medieval era, during a meeting on Wednesday. Having acquired the property in 1943, the council suggests that leasing arrangements connected to the school could generate revenue to partially offset current subsidies.

The Friends of Lydiard Park, a charity dedicated to preserving the site, has requested a pause for broader consultation. They stated that while a temporary and reversible educational use might be acceptable, they cannot support a permanent arrangement that could affect the site's significance to the community.

Responding to the concerns, Councillor Strinkovsky noted that heritage buildings should be actively used rather than left vacant and expressed hope for cooperation with the charity to create a beneficial project for the local area.

Lydiard Park Academy, formerly Greendown Community School, is located approximately 0.7 miles (1.12 km) from Lydiard House. Under the current proposals, the building's ground floor would remain open to the public, and a planning application is expected to be submitted before Christmas.

Author: Aiden Foster