Former Cooper Tires site sold as riverside regeneration plans move forward

The former Cooper Tires site in Melksham has been sold, with the new owners saying they are committed to regenerating the land into a sustainable neighbourhood with housing, employment space and leisure opportunities.

The 30-acre site has been sold to Melksham Development Company, which plans to regenerate the riverside site. It has been vacant since December 2023, when the factory closed after more than a century as one of the town’s major employers.

The developers told Melksham News they hope to work closely with local people as part of the transformation. They said they are ‘committed to making the site fit for development in a timely manner’ and plan to begin early interaction with the local community and ward members before submitting a planning application for the demolition of existing buildings and the formation of a new mixed-use development.

The site is identified in the town’s joint Neighbourhood Plan as a key site for regeneration, which highlights the importance of revitalising the area to help shape the future of the town and deliver lasting community benefit.

Director of Melksham Development Company, Michael Hirst, said, “We acquire technically challenging sites, typically with complex land remediation requirements which would otherwise become delayed and undeliverable.

“We are excited to bring forward this important regeneration scheme, which we expect will deliver much-needed housing and employment opportunity, and see this now redundant site provide a new sustainable place to live and work.”