Town still waiting for answers as campus saga nears seven years

PLANS for Melksham Campus are still on the drawing board with questions being asked over how much progress has been made on the project  this year.

Melksham Town Council met last month and criticised Wiltshire Council for the delays. Councillors said they were frustrated that the town wasn’t being kept informed of progress on the proposed ‘health and wellbeing centre’ at Melksham House.

They wrote to Wiltshire Council asking a series of questions about the project.

And on Tuesday this week, as Melksham News went to press, the town council had just received a reply from Wiltshire Council.

One of the key proposals, Melksham News understands, includes the Assembly Hall becoming part of the campus with the Melksham Town Council, who own the hall, being asked to contribute around £2million to the campus scheme. This would save the substantial costs of having to rebuild the Assembly Hall on its current site.

After waiting months for news of the campus project, the town council is being asked to make a decision by January.

Cllr Jon Hubbard, chair of the town council’s campus project group said, “Why Wiltshire Council has kept us in the dark for three years and asked us to make this decision in three months I don’t know.

“It’s almost like they want to pressure us into saying no or into handing over £2million without question.

“The county council is not interested in local decision making and it’s now going to build the campus the way it wants to.

“This has gone from being a community-led project to a County Hall led one. Wiltshire Council has got itself in such a state over their campus projects across the county that it’s just taking a command and control position now.

“Do I think we’ll get a campus? Yes. Do I think local people will have any say in decisions about it? No.”

Melksham campus timeline

April 2010
Plans are first discussed for a ‘Melksham campus’ combining Christie Miller Sports Centre, Melksham Blue Pool, the library and Canberra Youth Centre all on one site.

February 2011
Options for ‘£9million campus’ are outlined.

March 2011
A new £23million campus is proposed for Bowerhill, near Melksham Oak School. There is opposition to having a campus, particularly the library, out of town.

May 2011
“Single site or no campus at all.” Wiltshire Council accused of ‘threatening and blackmailing’ people to get its way.

June 2011
Melksham House location agreed for ‘town centre’ campus.

August 2011
Campus talks ‘going well’. Expected completion date – 2014.

June 2012
“Incredible campus plans will change the face of Melksham forever,” says Wiltshire Council. Replacements for Christie Miller, Blue Pool, Canberra and Library to be built in 2014.

February 2013
Melksham House to close in the summer so campus work can begin.

June 2013
‘Campus plans are taking shape’, announces Wiltshire Council.

November 2013
Campus plans unveiled. Proposed facilities include; library, four court sports hall, squash courts, 6 lane x 25 metre swimming pool, secondary swimming pool, climbing wall, 70-80 station fitness suite, six rink indoor bowls facility, dance studio, youth facilities, clinical care room, office space, cafe and exhibition space and meeting rooms. The plans also include a new stadium and facilities for Melksham Town Football Club and Melksham Rugby Club at Woolmore Farm.

January 2014
Campus plans approved by Melksham Area Board. A planning application is to be submitted ‘within days’.

May 2014
Planning permission approved. Construction work to begin before the end of the year at Melksham House, then football and rugby clubs to move to Woolmore Farm next year. No planning permission for Woolmore Farm yet. ‘We anticipate the whole project will be finished by the back end of 2016’ – cllr Roy While.

October 2014
Building work soon to begin at Woolmore Farm. New ground will be ready ‘in good time for 2015/16 season’. Campus construction expected to begin in February for completion in 2017.

April 2015
‘Campus delayed until late 2017’. Woolmore Farm work is also delayed because Wiltshire Council says great crested newts are living on the site. Football and rugby clubs told they must stay at Melksham House for remainder of 2015/16 season. Work on the campus will start after the move of the clubs.

June 2015
Concerns about campus viability start to grow. Cllr Terry Chivers claims the plans will be cut back because Wiltshire Council’s campus budget is overspent. Wiltshire Council dodges the claims and says ‘funding allocated has not been reduced’.

June 2015
Building work ‘set to start’ at Woolmore Farm.

August 2015
Wiltshire Council reveals a £5.5m funding shortfall and comes up with new ideas for the campus. One idea includes incorporating the Assembly Hall into the campus. Facilities in the previously approved plans are now referred to as being on a ‘wishlist’. Construction work starts at Woolmore Farm.

September 2015
Cllr Jon Hubbard confirms Woolmore Farm has run millions of pounds over  budget. Area board discusses selling land at tennis courts, Assembly Hall and park on Hazelwood Road to plug the gap.

March 2016
Wiltshire Council reveals new list of facilities at area board meeting. Out go the indoor bowls, climbing wall and community spaces. ‘I’m delighted this £23m project has got the final go ahead’ – cllr Jon Seed.

June 2016
‘All quiet on the campus front’. Local people are concerned that there’s no news about the campus – nobody has heard anything since February.

June 2016
Melksham Town Council says it is waiting to hear from Wiltshire Council about moving its offices and the Assembly Hall to Melksham House.

June 2016
Wiltshire Council’s John Thomson and Laurie Bell say negotiations are still ongoing over the campus project. They say it will definitely happen but have no timescale.

October 2016
Woolmore Farm move is delayed “until December” because there is no electricity in the clubhouse. Wiltshire Council says the agreements have been ‘extremely complicated’. A special match between Melksham Town and Manchester United which was to celebrate the opening of the new ground has to be played on the old ground.