THE public are being given more time to comment on The Range’s fiercely contentious Chippenham plans, as the company believes new promises have strengthened its case.

The discount homeware firm wants to build a store and a 17.95 metre high, 72,070 sq m storage and distribution centre on a greenfield site west of the A350, between Allington Farm Shop and Chippenham Golf Club. 

Wiltshire Council had received nearly 1,400 comments, including 1,077 objections, when consultation originally closed on February 5.

Now planners are accepting new submissions, giving a new deadline of May 8, and have said the Strategic Planning Committee will hear the application on June 17 at the earliest.

The council said it is required by law to extend the consultation period because The Range has made changes in response to consultees' questions on highways, design and ecology.

New commitments include: providing a bus to service the site and local area; incorporating local limestone into the retail unit design; planting more trees to the south eastern boundary and retaining more mature trees as screening; and contributing money towards pedestrian or cycle links, either Stainers Way to the north and south of the site with controlled crossings, or a footbridge crossing the A350 and connecting to existing footpaths to the south.

Oliver Bertram, who is leading the planning of the development proposals for First Chippenham, said: “Since announcing our plans in July 2014 we have listened and responded to the feedback from local people and stakeholders.

“This latest submission builds on the refinements we have already made to the scheme and provides the detail of more recent changes including improvements to the design and landscaping and new better connections from the development into Chippenham. It strengthens the case for our plans still further.” 

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “There is a statutory requirement for further consultation on the addendum to the Environmental Statement, which has come about as a result of new evidence as outlined in the document.”

Chris Baker on behalf of Allington Action Group, which has campaigned against the development, said as there were over 90 new documents to study they would be reserving judgement until next week.

The Range issue has also divided opinion among Chippenham's general election candidates. While the two main contenders have remained on the fence, Labour has said outright it supports the application while the Green Party has declared itself “totally against it”. 

Labour’s Andy Newman said: “The national distribution manager for The Range group assured me there would be 700 permanent jobs, at £7 an hour, and in addition there’ll be a number of skilled jobs for trainers, lorry drivers and people in managerial positions. It will push up wages in the area.”

But Tina Johnston of The Greens said: “The number of jobs they said they were going to produce in an identical Range distribution centre only netted 83 actual jobs.”
UKIP’s Julia Reid said she believed it would be better sited closer to the motorway and further away from the town, where it would be less of a threat to town centre shops.

Conservative candidate Michelle Donelan said: “It is not the best location, it’s not ideal, but the problem is that there is no other on the table. J17 would be brilliant but that is not possible.”

She said she did not believe consultation was adequate or that the developer had done enough to inform the public, and she would want to see an appeal if plans were approved. 

Liberal Democrat Duncan Hames said: “I welcome the prospect of jobs for the town and I think it’s important that the MP should encourage investment in their local economy. As to whether this is exactly the right site I’m not sure.”

He said ultimately it was for the council to decide. He said: “What’s the point of having local government if the MP always pipes up and tells them what to think?”