A BUILDING that was home to one of Melksham’s longest established businesses, Marjo Fashions on Lowbourne, has been approved by Wiltshire Council to be developed into five flats and parking spaces.
The business closed last year, following the death of its owner, Marjo Jones. Plans for the development were submitted to Melksham Town Council in August and councillors considered the building at 8- 12 Lowbourne, which is in a conservation area. At the meeting, councillors said they were not opposed to a residential development on the high street, but they voted to object to the development plans due to parking issues.
At the August meeting, Melksham’s mayor councillor, cllr Simon Crundell said, “I am hugely in favour of making the high street somewhere for people to live but for this one, I cannot see the parking, and that is a real issue. The plans for five flats are five parking spaces, that is not enough.
“Personally, I am hugely in favour of them doing this and turning it into residential again but you need to have adequate parking. It’s overdevelopment. We have to plan for 1.8 spaces per dwelling and this falls alarmingly shy of that.”
Earlier this month, at the town council’s economic, development and planning meeting, it was noted that the application has now been approved. Cllr Graham Ellis said, “The council previously objected to the development of the site due to overdevelopment and lack of parking, but Wiltshire Council have since approved with conditions.”
