Many planning applications were submitted to Wiltshire Council this week, including proposals to demolish a church to make way for a new church. 

CALNE: The Calne Baptist Church wants to demolish its existing church, the manse and surrounding storage buildings on Castle Street to make way for a new church and a community centre with two apartments.

The planning statement says: “A chapel on the site has been present for at least the past two centuries with the current building dating from 1817. This has been extended with the vestry added in 1822, a schoolroom in c.1858 and with additions in 1865.”

The replacement church will have a floor area of 472.12m2. There will be a main worship space, a hall, activity rooms, a minister’s office, a kitchen and a café according to the application.

Community groups will be able to hire the kitchen and café to use as their own space.

The application says that the current church is expensive to run and is not well insulated.

It adds: “This has become an even greater issue with the current rising costs of energy."

It further adds the congregation have agreed to the project and says:  

“In terms of heritage impact, the demolition of the existing range of church buildings would amount to less than substantial harm.”

According to the application the first reverend of the church, Rev Isaac Taylor, who was appointed in 1776, created the first Sunday school in Calne and this was the first school for the working children of the town.

The proposal is currently being reviewed by the council.

CHIPPENHAM: Mr Jeremy Smith from Bybrook Developments (Southern) Ltd wants to put up two new houses beside The Mermaid Inn on Main Road.

The houses will have three bedrooms, gardens and car parking.

The application says: “The Mermaid Inn is a grade two listed building and was formerly a farmhouse (Mermaid Farm) built in the 18th century but later converted to its current use sometime in the 19th century. It is acknowledged that the application site is within close proximity of a listed building, due consideration has been given to its setting. The requirements of a Local Plan Policy CP58 have been carefully considered and will not damage the fabric or harm anu features of historic interest.”

The site is overgrown and the application argues the buildings would be an improvement to the view of the area.

The application is currently being reviewed by the council.

DEVIZES: Plans to build a pair of semi-detached houses on the land off Waiblingen Way, Devizes have been submitted by a man named Mr Khan.  

The site he wants to convert is currently a disused garage and around 340 Sq. metres.

SALISBURY: Mr Thomas Levy from the Osprey Charing Network has applied to put three electric vehicle charge points in the car park of the Bull Hotel in The Headlands, Downtown, Salisbury.

The application says: “The proposal represents a vital new piece of infrastructure (rapid EV charging) for local residents, and for visitors”.

It adds that the aim is to increase the number of visitors to the pub.

The pub is a grade 2 listed building and so the application says that “great care” will be taken to minimise the impact of the development.

The chargers themselves will be 2.3 metres tall if the application is accepted.