A massive redevelopment of Langley Park and Hathaway Retail Park, including a new Asda store, is a step closer after council officers recommended it should be approved.

The multi-million pound plans for the 54-acres of land will be discussed by Wiltshire Council planners at a meeting next Wednesday.

It is the fourth application to regenerate the area in seven years, after two were refused and one withdrawn.

It has 115 houses, a 102 bed hotel, two new non-food shops next to the existing ones at Hathaway Park, a 30,000 sq ft building for a non-specified leisure purpose, a 38,000 sq ft supermarket, believed likely to be Asda, a small garden centre and 41,990 sq ft of employment space.

Chippenham Mayor Sylvia Gibson said this week: “Anything that’s going to bring jobs and people into the town can only be good. We’ve got to look positively at this and grab it with both hands.”

The application was ‘called in’ to committee by Chris Caswill, Wiltshire councillor for Monkton, because of additional traffic on the Little George roundabout and the roads off it and the lack of pedestrian connectivity to the "real" centre of the town.

Highway improvements to the Little George junction are included as part of the plan, as is access from Foundry Lane into the Network Rail car park. But a footbridge over the railway line does not form part of the application and does not seem likely.

The case officer’s report to next week’s committee reads: “The proposed mixed use scheme will result in the development of an important brownfield site in Chippenham, which will enhance the town. It regenerates an existing employment area to retain established businesses.

“There are small parts of the scheme which could be improved, however, on balance it is acceptable and overcomes the concerns raised by the previous planning inspector’s decision.”

Chippenham Chamber of Commerce president Rob Perks said: “It’s had a few tries and this is more of a mixed development instead of a massive supermarket and nothing else. It does desperately need to be redeveloped, it’s really run-down. Our only concern is the traffic problems and that sort of thing can be sorted out.”

A spokesman for The Central Chippenham Partnership said: “The fact that approval has been recommended by the planning officers subject to a section 106 agreement and conditions is excellent news. Large parts of the site have been vacant for over eight years.

“Following full and transparent engagement with all stakeholders regarding the current proposals, we hope the outcome on December 4 is a positive one in order to regenerate this part of Chippenham.”