New ASDA plan for Chippenham

12:15pm Friday 9th January 2009

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Developers have prepared new, neighbour-friendly, plans for Langley Park without waiting for the outcome of ASDA’s High Court battle to build a supermarket on the mammoth site.

The revised plans follow the rejection of plans for a £25 million supermarket and housing in August last year.

In a bid to win round residents who are opposed to the redevelopment, Ashtenne is holding a public exhibition of the proposals next week.

New architects have been brought in to alter the design of the project and its impact on nearby residents while retaining a supermarket, car parks, 200 houses and flats and open space.

Wayne Locke, a spokesman for Ashtenne Industrial Fund which owns the 52,000 sq ft site, said the rejection of the plans in August had provided valuable insights into the elements that were considered important by the planning authorities.

“This has enabled the architects to work up a scheme which is much more sensitive to those living near the site,” he said.

“We have also placed less emphasis on the retail element of the scheme and more on the residential with large pockets of open space.”

Supermarket giant ASDA is waiting for a date to be set for its appeal to the High Court against the planning inspectors’ rejection of the proposal for a 8,736 sqm store.

An ASDA spokesman said the company was still progressing its challenge through the High Court and expected to receive a date shortly.

“ASDA is committed to delivering this proposal in Chippenham and we await the date for the challenge to commence,” he said.

“The consultation on this revised scheme is focused on the residential and urban design elements which, although linked to the retail aspect, is being led by Ashtenne.”

Nearby residents who have objected to the plans from day one are unconvinced by the changes.

Marion Dane, 70, who lives on Tugela Road, which backs onto the site, said: “This revised plan does not make a jot of difference – we are against the plans on the basis of traffic and the size of the store – two things which don’t appear to have changed.

“ASDA obviously has the bit between its teeth and nothing or nobody is going to stop it.”

Mike Rawlings, who lives on Langley Road said: “Why can’t the inspector’s word be the last?

“The plans are simply not suitable and, no matter how much you jiggle around with the way the development looks, it is still going to be crippling on the roads here.”

The exhibition is being held on January 16 from 3.30pm to 8pm and January 17 from 11am to 4pm at St Paul’s church hall on Malmesbury Road.