A well-known town centre hotel is going to be transformed into flats and offices after Wiltshire Council has approved revised plans for its conversion.
The application concerns The Bear Hotel in Chippenham, a landmark of the Chippenham Market Place since the 18th century.
Applicant London & Wiltshire Ltd has now been given the go-ahead to convert the former hotel into five new apartments, one maisonette and office accommodation.
The initial proposal was submitted to the council in November 2023, but the suggested design was deemed “heavy and dominant” by Chippenham Town Council.
An updated design by Armstrong Architecture was proposed this year and has now been approved by Wiltshire Council.
The new CGIs appear to show a brighter glass design, along with added shrubbery on the roof.
According to the application, the ground floor tapas bar will be unaffected by the redevelopment.
Also approved by Wiltshire Council this week was an application for the construction of a roundhouse and polytunnel at St Mary’s Primary School in Marlborough.
The timber roundhouse will be used for wildlife observation by the students, whilst the polytunnel is planned for educational horticulture.
In other planning news, in Westbury, a proposal has been submitted for the conversion of a vacant warehouse on West Wilts Trading Estate into an education building.
The applicant, Project SEMH Ltd, was originally set up in 2019 to provide specialist education teaching facilities for students with special education needs, primarily in Wiltshire.
Project SEMH has indicated that the occupier of the building would be The Bridge, an alternate provision that takes a “therapeutic and holistic” approach to education.
The application states: “It is intended that the premises will accommodate up to a maximum of 48 pupils together with approximately 18 current members of staff, which may increase as our student numbers rise.
“Parking provision at the site will remain unchanged at 10 on site spaces.
“A number of staff live locally and will car share or cycle and there may be a small degree of on street parking.
“There is plenty of unrestricted on street parking available along this stretch of Headquarters Road.
“It is intended that pupils will be brought to the provision by parents or taxis so parking for pupils is not required.
“The intended hours of operation will be between 8.30am and 4.00pm, term time only.”
The plans show that no structural changes would be made to the building to create the classroom spaces, but a further window would be inserted on the north east elevation to provide natural daylight.
Wiltshire Council is expected to make a decision by Monday, October 7.
Meanwhile, an application for a traveller site in north Wiltshire was determined by a planning committee this week.
Members voted against the proposal for four pitches and a day room on land to the west of Grittenham, a village near Royal Wootton Bassett.
It was the second application of this type to be discussed at the strategic planning committee meeting on Wednesday, August 14, in Trowbridge County Hall.
The applicant is seeking permission to set up four pitches and a day room at Charlie's Place, off Sodom Lane.
Applicant Mr Lee has owned the land at Charlie's Place, off Sodom Lane, for several years and, according to the application, wants to settle there with his family.
The site is currently an agricultural pasture used for grazing, and the plans show that the larger part of it would have remained in use for hay making or grazing if the proposal was approved.
The applicant was also seeking permission for the construction of a barn to facilitate this.
However, the strategic planning committee decided to refuse the application based on the site’s distance from services and facilities and the potential lack of integration into its surroundings.
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