Campus project – ‘definitely going ahead’ but still no timescale

WILTSHIRE Council this month said it was ‘impossible’ to say when Melksham’s health and wellbeing centre would be built.

At June’s area board meeting, council officials told local people that negotiations and design drafts were still ongoing for the £16million build at Melksham House.

They announced that  the new football and rugby ground at Woolmore Farm is expected to be complete by 15th August – just seven weeks away. The rebuild of the skate park at King George V park is also set to be completed by the autumn.

However, there is still no end in sight for the years-long Melksham House project. Deputy leader of Wiltshire Council, John Thomson, said it would be foolish to give dates and set people up for disappointment if there were  further delays.

Associate director at Wiltshire Council, Laurie Bell, said the council did not want to ‘knee-jerk’ into building, and that a well thought out plan would be better in the long run.

At the meeting local councillor Jon Hubbard was chosen to continue representing the project in Melksham.

He told Melksham Independent News, “I am concerned that we still don’t have a timescale for the project and whilst I’m confident that it will definitely be going ahead, when that is, remains a mystery. We still don’t have a master plan or anything for the town council to look at and that does worry me. I will feel a lot more confident when we can see the master plan, the revised planning application and clarity on funding.

“But saying all that, things are moving along, albeit painfully slow, but things are happening and they are positive. The refurbishment of the skate park is fantastic news and work has already begun on that. There is positivity coming from the football and rugby clubs as well. The facilities at Woolmore Farm really are brilliant, so that’s definitely something to be excited about.

“But the problems with the headline item, the Health and Wellbeing Centre, continue to be a challenge but we are moving in the right direction.”

Work on a masterplan for the health and wellbeing centre is continuing behind closed doors at county hall.

Wiltshire Council says it still has matters to decide such as what Melksham House will be used for, what to do about the assembly hall, and whether Melksham Town Council will move its offices to the new site.