‘Campus is on schedule and making good progress’ says Wiltshire Council

WILTSHIRE Council has offered reassurance that the Melksham Campus project is ‘making good progress’ and is on schedule to open in 2021, despite currently being behind schedule.

The council has spoken out in response to the story in the last issue of the Melksham News, that reported the project was months behind the estimated timeline given to the community at the Melksham Area Board meeting in October last year.

The council said the reason for the project falling behind schedule to the ‘allocation of time required to ensure that a facility that meets the need of the local community is delivered within budget and is fit for purpose for the future’.

According to the estimated timeline, the ‘final design concept’ for the new campus was expected to be completed by the end of March this year, and the ‘developed design and planning information’ was due by the end of June. The timeline also estimates that the project should now be in the planning stages and that the main contractor tender process should have started in October.

In response, a Wiltshire Council spokesperson said, “This is another major investment in the Melksham community area, which will deliver new, exciting, high quality services and facilities.

“The campus is an ambitious and complex project. Any slippage in the timeline is due to the allocation of time required to ensure that a facility that meets the need of the local community is delivered within budget and is fit for purpose for the future. 

“The council is working hard to bring all elements of the project together and is making good progress. The campus is still on track to open in 2021. We have provided regular updates on the campus via the area board and these updates will continue throughout the project delivery.”