Back to drawing board with Kingston Mills

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Friday 4th Jul 2003.

DEVELOPERS have shelved plans to build 127 homes at Kingston Mills in Bradford on Avon.

For the third time in five years developer Taylor Woodrow has withdrawn its application to transform the former Avon Rubber factory, after district council planners warned the scheme would be refused.

Bradford on Avon mayor, Vicky Landell Mills said the latest plans were not what was needed for the town.

She said: "We want that site redeveloped very badly, but it is worth waiting for the right design and plan that suits it best.

"Taylor Woodrow is a developer with expertise building houses and developing Greenfield sites, which Kingston Mills isn't , and this showed in the weakness of the plans they submitted."

Jocelyn Feilding, chairman of Bradford Town Council's planning committee, which recommended the plans be refused, said: "This has been dragging on for 12 years now and that is a long time for a building like that to stand uncared-for.

"In a way I hoped this third application would be refused before they withdrew it because then the architect would be forced to really sit down and say `ok, what's wrong with it?' and might come up with something more do-able." The town council wants some sort of extension of the business heart of the town on the Kingston Mills site.

Cllr Feilding said it was important to remember how the site was once central in creating the wealth of the town and it would be good if it could do so again in the future.

A spokesman for West Wiltshire District Council said planning officers had met with the developers, but that this third plan had stalled on a number of points, including design, highways issues and affordable housing.

She said: "As a result of the forthcoming officer recommendation for refusal on these grounds, the developer has chosen to withdraw the application and we expect to have preliminary discussions with them very soon about the way ahead."

The future of the site now hangs in the balance, with Taylor Woodrow, and its parent company, Bryant Homes unable to confirm whether a completely new plan for the site was in the pipeline.

Emma Jones, strategic land manager for Bryant Homes, said: "We withdrew the plans because we felt that this wasn't the scheme that was right for the site.

"We have not looked at it internally yet, so I have no idea what will happen with the plans next ­ whether there are changes we can make or whether to sell up."

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