DAVID Renard has apologised to the Friends of Swindon Museum and Art Gallery for a council press release which said the group had “breached trust and confidentiality” and “could no longer be trusted".

The fallout of the press release has seen the previous cabinet member of culture and heritage Dale Heenan resign – but borough leader Coun Renard faced questions over the matter from members of the council’s scrutiny committee.

Coun Heenan had shared a document headed a cabinet member decision note making the case for closing Apsley House, the home of the museum in Bath Road, with the

Friends chairman Linda Kasmaty. When that was published online, he said it had been a confidential meeting and that it was a discussion paper and no decision was close to being made.

Questioning Coun Renard, his former deputy leader Coun Russell Holland said a separate published council document – the capital returns report to cabinet – referred to the cabinet member decision note.

It said: “A separate delegated cabinet member decision is underway which, if approved, would allow for alternative means to display Swindon’s internationally significant art collection.”

Coun Holland said: “Do you think it was fair to say the Friends had breached trust and confidentiality when the cabinet report says a decision is underway?

“That was in the public domain – and if the note hadn’t been published, nobody would have known what the decision was about.”

Coun Renard said the decision hadn’t been made and the reference in the cabinet paper was conditional – and added: “We have a new cabinet member for culture and heritage in place and a full report is to come before cabinet.”

Labour leader Jim Grant quizzed Coun Renard about his repetition of the whole press release when responding to a query from a resident and asked whether He would apologise for the words.

Coun Renard said: “I would not have signed off on that press release, but it had already been published, which is why I forwarded it in response.

“I’m more than happy to apologise to the Friends of Swindon Museum and Art Gallery and I want to reset the relationship.

Asked whether he’d apologise to the council for it being associated with the words about the Friends he added: ”I do regret what happened happened and what was said was said.”

Council chief executive Susie Kemp told members of the committee neither the meeting between officers and the Friends group, nor the content of their discussions was confidential.

After Coun Heenan stepped down from the cabinet Labour councillor Kevin Small called for him to resign as a councillor – or to announce he’d resign at the local elections next year, a year before his term is up.

Coun Heenan declined to respond to that call.