Bid to pull down Hygrade factory in Chippenham (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Bid to pull down Hygrade factory in Chippenham

8:00pm Sunday 22nd July 2012 in Chippenham By Alex Winter

A planning application to pull down the disused Hygrade factory in Chipp-enham has been submitted to Wiltshire Council.

There are plans to build retirement flats in place of the factory on Westmeade Lane, and builders McCarthy and Stone say they are hoping to progress quickly if permission is granted.

Architect Jose Mayorga, who works for The Planning Bureau Ltd, said the factory is unlikely to be demolished until early next year.

“We have now submitted the planning application for the demolition of the building, and the application to build the retirement flats went in before that,” he said.

“However, we are still in the public consultation phase, so nothing has been decided yet. We have had support on the council planning website – currently four people are in favour, with none against the application.”

The retirement flats planned will be varying in height, with the complex formed around one central three-storey unit with a communal area and terrace overlooking the river.

They will occupy most of the space currently taken up by the factory.

A spokesman confirmed in November last year after months of speculation that planning permission would be sought to redevelop the former meat processing factory in Westmead Lane.

The eight-acre site, which has been marketed with a price of up to £1.5million, has been empty since the firm moved out in 2007.

It is now widely considered to be dangerous, with police and firemen refusing to go into the building amid reports the electrical system has been exposed to water.

Mr Mayorga said: “There are many things to put in place before we consider how to go about pulling the factory down.

“It needs to be done safely and sensibly and plans to make sure it is done properly are being put in place.”

The company is in fierce competition with a number of retirement flats already in the town, including a £22m care village with space for 145 people which is being built at the site of the Chippenham Golf Course.

For more information, visit Wiltshire Council’s planning website and use application number 12/01662/CAC