A CHIPPENHAM Town Councillor, who compared the state of the Bridge Centre to a bomb site earlier this year, hopes that organisations in the town can come up with a quick solution to fill the space over the summer months.

Coun Bill Douglas believes more should be done to rejuvenate the derelict site, especially after Wiltshire Council agreed to discuss ideas.

“Other than a short discussion between Wiltshire Council and the BID, there has been no maintenance and no progress,” he said. “The result is that the weeds are taking over, growing taller and taller and the barriers are becoming damaged.

“The election should not have stopped officers from working on the site and this has now been going on for forever. The people of Chippenham deserve better.”

Currently the site is being used as an additional car park for the town while Wiltshire Council looks into long term development plans but Coun Douglas hopes that in a planned meeting with Wiltshire Council and the BID, the town could work towards a short term occupation solution so that visitors to the town don’t have to look at an empty space.

“It is important that this meeting leads to come sort of immediate impact so that whatever is decided upon is actioned while we have the summer weather to work on the site.

“Last year we did a check on the amount of visitors to the town and we found that between the peak hours of 12-2pm 50 per cent of the people in the town were visitors., which is a huge amount.

“We don’t need people sitting on their hands talking about developer, we want something fast and that works to the future.”

Simon Philpott of the Chippenham BID said: “A short term solution is needed for the Bridge Centre site but not one that takes the focus away from a long term solution. In its current condition it literally remains in the focus of those who potentially have the authority, but not necessary the funds, to implement a solution that will benefit the Town Centre for decades to come.

“However it is an eye-sore and not wishing to second-guess any meeting or collaboration between ourselves, the Town Council and Wiltshire Council, the site could be better utilised, hence the desire for us all to meet and discuss.”

Wiltshire Council confirmed they have had commercial interest in the site but the barriers will remain in place to prevent unauthorised access.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Council said: “The former Bridge Centre is a regeneration site, and we have had commercial interest in it. We have agreed to meet with Chippenham BID parking subgroup and members of the town council to discuss any ideas they may have for the site.

“The building has been demolished and barriers will remain in place to prevent any unauthorised access. This means there are no longer any operating or maintenance costs, with any savings used to help prioritise frontline services.

“The site is currently being used for staff parking enabling a greater provision of public parking in the centre of Chippenham for visitors. As a result all 38 spaces in the Gladstone Road Car Park, next to Borough Parade, are currently available to the public.”