No to new ASDA plan at Chippenham (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

No to new ASDA plan at Chippenham

11:00am Friday 17th April 2009 in Chippenham By Alana Lewis

PLANS to redevelop Langley Park in Chippenham and build a large ASDA store, hotel, houses and shops have been opposed again by Chippen-ham Town Council.

Councillors at a meeting of the planning and environmental committee voted against the outline plans to demolish and redevelop the 7.7 hectare site, and their recommendation to refuse permission will now be put to the Northern Area Planning Committee.

A town council spokesman said: “The town council reiterates its previous comments that this should be refused on the grounds that this development raises unacceptable environmental and traffic problems, harming the character and amenity of the surrounding area.”

The original plans were thrown out on appeal last summer and ASDA is still pursuing its proposals through the High Court.

The revised plans, submitted by Ashtenne Industrial Fund Limited Partnership, seek outline planning permission to demolish and redevelop the site with approximately 230 homes, 7,988 sq m of retail floor space to be shared between ASDA and smaller shops and a 3,600 sq m hotel.

The plans, which reduced the space allocated to ASDA to 3.21 acres, also include public open space and car parking.

The applicant claims the development will create between 400 and 500 new jobs, as well as retaining around 650 existing jobs on the site.

If planning permission is granted, and ASDA wins its impending High Court battle to overturn the refusal, building work would begin late this year.

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