A scheme to regenerate Emery Gate shopping centre in Chippenham, by building over 200 homes on the site and revamping the commercial offering, was first revealed in April.
The most recent proposals for the centre, which underwent a consultation in September, involve building a total of 225 town centre homes and providing 3,500sq feet of replacement retail, food, and leisure uses.
Developer Acorn Property Group is now finalising its planning application for the project and intends to submit this to Wiltshire Council “in the next few weeks”.
Caroline Wall, project manager for the Chippenham riverside development, said: “We are now making the final touches to the planning application which will be submitted to Wiltshire Council in the next few weeks.
“All the information used to support the planning application will be publicly available to view and we encourage everyone to take a look once submitted.”
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Plans for the site from September (Image: Acorn Property Group) The plans will come forward in a bid to tackle declining footfall at the shopping centre, which Acorn says is highlighted by the closure of the Tesco superstore in August.
Throughout multiple consultation processes, residents and town councillors have raised concerns about the impact of the development on traffic and parking in the area.
Acorn insists that the feedback it has received during these consultations will help shape the designs submitted during the planning process.
The most recent plans shown to the public also include an overhaul of parking at the site and integration of the River Avon.
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Ms Wall added: “Our recent consultation saw a huge level of interest, with 302 people attending our exhibition at Emery Gate in September to view the current plans and provide feedback.
“Since revealing the proposals in May, we have met with over 600 people including residents, businesses, existing tenants, Chippenham Town Council and Wiltshire Council members to discuss the plans and invite their input.
“From speaking to so many different people in the community, we are well aware of the importance that Emery Gate has to the future of the town.
“The proposed redevelopment will deliver a better and more diverse commercial offering, generous public open spaces with a new frontage to Island Park, 225 new homes in a sustainable brownfield town centre location and revamped car parking by providing a much-needed upgrade to the existing lower ground floor car park.”
