PLANS are moving forward to demolish the former Christie Miller Sports Centre in Bowerhill.
Permission for Wiltshire Council to demolish the building was granted by its planning department earlier this year and the council’s facilities management are now procuring the contractor for the demolition.
A report to last week’s Melksham Area Board said, “The detail of the method and approach will be finalised with the successful contractor once they have been appointed.
“There is likely to be some occasional disruption to the operation of the household recycling centre, but we are liaising with the waste team to minimise this and to ensure timely and appropriate communications goes out to the community as and when is necessary.
“Once demolished, the site will be left vacant until such time as it is redeveloped, at which point all of the normal processes (e.g. planning process, consideration by Area Board etc) will take place.”
Chair of Melksham Area Board, cllr Phil Alford – who described the building as ‘problematic’ because of issues with its roof, electrics and asbestos – explained that demolishing the building would increases the value of the site.
“It’s carrying a business rate cost of somewhere in the region of £65,000 a year,” said cllr Alford, “so in light of that a decision was taken to demolish it.”
The sports centre closed in October 2018 after Wilt- shire Council decided it would not spend the £1million needed to make the building safe for use.
At the beginning of 2021, Wiltshire Council invited interested parties to bid for the freehold of the former site – bids included plans for a £50million leisure park from the owner of Boomerang Family Play Centre and the Bounce House on Bowerhill, Gary Cooke.
According to cllr Alford, no decision has been made on the future use of the site.
