Councils join forces to create masterplan for town

MELKSHAM Town Council has agreed to meet with Wiltshire Council to develop a ‘masterplan’ to enhance the town centre. 

Representatives from the two councils, with the support of external consultants, will discuss how to make the best use of publicly-owned sites in the town centre including the Blue Pool, which is set to be demolished after the new campus is opened; and the library, which is set to move to the new campus building later this year. 

Discussions could also involve the future of the Assembly Hall building, with one early idea suggesting that it could be moved to the site of the current library on Lowbourne. 

The masterplan is the idea of cllr Phil Alford – who is both a Melksham town councillor and Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for housing, strategic assets and asset transfer – who says this is a ‘golden opportunity’ for both councils to work together and create a vision for the town. 

“With the construction of Melksham Community Campus continuing to make great progress, it’s essential that we strategically plan for the future of the town, alongside our partners,” cllr Alford told Melksham News last year. 

“The campus will be a fantastic facility right in the heart of the community, but its existence will leave other valued sites unoccupied. Therefore, we want to work together to develop a vision that benefits the people and businesses of the town and the local area.” 

Town councillors at last week’s full council meeting welcomed the opportunity to have three town council representatives join the ‘Place Board’ – a committee involving members from both councils and other community stakeholders. 

But some councillors had questions. 

Cllr Carl Houghton queried how much influence the town council would have on any decisions made by the Place Board, explaining that some town councillors felt ignored when they were invited to discuss the future use of Melksham House, suggesting that Wiltshire Council may have already made up its mind about what it wants to do with the sites. 

 “The level of influence will come down to what the town council puts into the pot,” said cllr Alford in response.

“If the town council were to say, for example, ‘how about we pick up a site and replace the Assembly Hall, building a new replacement facility on the library site’ – well then the town council is still in the game and has a lot of influence over what happens.

“If the town council were not interested in doing anything like that – well that influence over the decisions, lessens.”

Cllr Alford also offered some reassurance that Wiltshire Council has made no decisions ‘at the moment’ about the future of the town centre sites in question, but added that any decision made will need to be made ‘commercially viable’. 

Questions were also raised about the future use of Melksham House, which received planning permission last year to be restored and create a ‘multifunctional and flexible hub’ for the local community. 

After cllr Alford told councillors that ‘a couple of organisations’ are interested in taking on the historic building as premises to lease, cllr Saffi Rabey, pressed him to clarify what his comment meant.

Cllr Rabey asked for reassurance that Melksham House “is not going to become a commercial operation” and be under the control of a third party.

“No, I don’t think you will have to worry about Wiltshire Council changing its mind,” said cllr Alford. 

“It depends on the nature of the third party – the usage within planning terms has to be a community facility.

“So if an organisation came along, like an arts foundation for example, and looked to lease the whole building and then to use it as a public space – that as I understand it would be fine under the planning terms.”

Three town council representatives were selected at the meeting to join the task group – cllrs Simon Crundell, Pat Aves and Graham Ellis. The first meeting took place online last week.