Wadworth Brewery has applied for permission to move its shire horse stables and wine warehouse to its main headquarters as it gears up to sell part of its Devizes site.

The brewery wants permission from Wiltshire Council to build a bonded warehouse, new stables, a building to house the drays and a new access at Northgate Street.

Last year the brewery put Kennet House the building on the other side of Northgate Street which sits on about an acre of land on the market and asked for expressions of interest.

In February its architect Peter Kent and planning agent Richard Cosker spoke to Devizes Town Council and revealed that up to 30 homes could be built on the site.

But this week marketing director Paul Sullivan said the planning application was just another step in a long process before any building work would start on the warehouse site.

He said: “We want to get planning in place for the bonded warehouse and the new stables before we make any decisions about selling the site.

“We have not got any further than expressions of interest. We have had a mixture of ideas including homes and retail. It is unlikely that anything significant will happen for about 18 months.”

At the town council presentation four options for - commercial use, retail, retirement housing or private housing - for the site were outlined.

Councillors favoured housing and Mr Kent showed drawings for homes similar to the apartments in Snuff Street.

He said the site could accommodate more than 30 homes comprising a mix of houses and apartments with a courtyard in the middle for parking and green space. Some of the buildings on the site, such as the sign writing workshop, could be converted to housing but Kennet House would be likely to be demolished.

Councillor Jeff Ody said: “Open market housing does suggest itself as being the most appropriate use because the site is within good walking distance of the town centre and gives an opportunity to minimise the number of cars and, as a result, traffic from the site would be fairly light.”