THERE is a new call to have one of the town’s most iconic landmarks recognised with a status on a list of protected buildings.

Fans of the Norman Foster-designed Spectrum building, in Shaw, have called for the old Renault distribution centre to be put on the National Heritage List, as a listed building.

It was immortalised on the big screen in 1985, when it became part of the James Bond legend.

Roger Moore, as 007 in A View To A Kill, was pictured outside the Spectrum, when it was used as the lair of villain Max Zorin, played by Christopher Walken.

Other filming locations used in the final cut included San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Since work began on the structure in the early 1980s, it has won a host of awards for architectural ingenuity.

It currently houses TS Tech, a car seat manufacturer closely affiliated with Honda, and Kidz About, a soft indoor play centre for youngsters.

To be eligible for listed status, buildings generally have to be more than 30 years old and the Spectrum building is now approaching its 30th anniversary.

Among those who would like to see it recognised is Coun Steve Wakefield (Lab, Toothill and Westlea).

He said: “It’s such an interesting building and I think it should be listed.

“It’s designed by Norman Foster and it’s about 30 years old, so it can be listed.”

Simon Clarke, a volunteer town planner with the Swindon Civic Voice, said the group would support a move to see it recognised on English Herit-age’s elite list.

He said: “Our view is that we think it’s really quite an iconic piece of architecture for listing.

“Swindon does have some really interesting architecture and we feel, if anyone was to go down the modern lsiting route, there are also award-winning buildings like the Link Centre or the old Motorola building.

“We would not want to look at the Spectrum building in isolation.”

Patrick Anderson, a spokes-man for the building’s owner, the Burford Group, said it would not support a movement to see it listed as it would restrict its commercial flexibility.

He said: “It has been mentioned before and it’s not something we would back.

“It’s a relatively modern building and, at the moment, is at full occupancy. If any buildings do get listed, it can put tenants off, because they cannot do what they need to.

“When you are in a Victorian house and it is listed, that’s nice and quaint; but not when you are a logisitics operator.

“Having said that, one of the benefits of being listed is that business rates are no longer payable on listed buildings, so it’s something for the council tax payer and the local authority.”