GAZETTE & HERALD: NORTH Wiltshire district councillor, Philip Allnatt has proposed a new plan for the controversial Goldiggers site on Timber Road, Chippenham.

The latest idea would cost well over £1 million but will create a community facility that the whole town can enjoy.

"At the moment all we are getting is housing and two shops," Coun Allnatt said. "I want to give everyone a bit of what they want."

His proposal includes moving the library and using the Bridge Centre roundabout and the Bath Road car park for the bus station. The bus station on Timber Road could then be used for housing.

"If we moved the library we could be a lot more creative with the Goldiggers site," Coun Allnatt said.

"If the bus station was sold the district council would get £1 million for the housing re-development."

A number of delays have postponed the original plans and Coun Allnatt thinks this is a good thing.

He said: "The delay has given us the opportunity to re-think the whole scheme and arrive at a compromise for everybody."

He said he would like to see an auditorium and a really good youth centre on the Goldiggers site. "It's a vision for Chippenham."

The town, district and county council will come together to identify the future sites for development.

"The county council owns the library and the Bridge Centre, and the district council owns the bus station and Bath Road car park," Coun Allnatt said. "We want to put them together so we can get the best out of all the sites."

The Preservation of Gaumont Goldiggers spokesman Paul Hargreaves said: "We fully support the idea of having a multi-functional leisure facility, but structural surveys show the building is in pretty good condition so we don't want it ripped down.

"We do want to see something for the arts in Chippenham though. If we had a custom built facility, with lighting and a stage for performances we could attract anyone from pop bands to conferences.

"We are pressuring the councillors to try and save the place but if they don't vote for it we will be asking it is made public, so people know who was responsible for knocking it down."