Changing shops and organisations - Melksham, the last and next five years
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2012-03-21 23:12:02 - Graham Ellis
It seems like it's "all change" in Melksham. I've been re-reading the November, 2006 report by Melksham First into the renewal and regeneration of aspects of our shopping area, and it stuck me just how many of the organisations and shops mentioned are no longer with us. The report was jointly sponsored / produced by Melksham First [gone], West Wilts District Council [gone], South West Regional Development Agency [gone], Wiltshire County Council [changed], the Chamber of Commerce [still here] and Melksham Town Council [still here]. The authors were Colin Davis Associates - still there, apparently, according to their web site but it looks like our report has fallen off their radar as I can find Chippenham, Devizes and Oswestry, Oxford and Salisbury on there .. but no Melksham.
Looking through the report, and who do I see? Wishing Well, Little Labels, the Halifax, Aqua Leisure, Little Brook Bakers, Card Market Superstore, Kwik Save and Somerfield. All gone. The Bear, closed at present. Featured, just Bagette Bar, Sainsburys and Iceland remain.
Wow - what changes. Should I be depressed? Probably not, for nearly all the premises mentioned are occupied and in productive use, and that tells me that we have a town that's moved forward to meet new requirements. There's the Factory Store and Waitrose, there's Mamma Mia and others. Some of us may regret the number of betting shops in the town, but it would seem the commercial case is there. And there are other newly arrived businesses too in shops that weren't featured in the report. There are new organisations too. Wiltshire County Council has emerged from Wilshire Council, the Community Area Partnership takes somwhat of elements of the role of Melksham First, and the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership has parallels to the SWRDA.
Where I would be concerned is if we see the same number of changes in the next five and a half years as we've seen in the last five and a half. I really hope for a stable shopping centre - partly because I don't like too much change, and partly because I really want the shopkeepers who have invested so much money and time into setting up to succeed. I fear there *will* be some losses though, and I really hope that those who do go after just a short while will at least have covered their costs.
Change carries on too. I mentioned "The Bear" above; it's to re-open on 15th May as a Wetherspoon's. Blue plaques are to be placed in 11 locations around the town centre to encourage visitors in, and to look around. The river frontage should have boats in the next 5.5 years, with the Wilts and Berks Canal rebuilt from Semington. And Melksham House should be open as our new town Campus, with ... a wide range of facilities which are not yet totally decided, but which should be firmed up on in the next 9 months. All very exciting for a bright future.