The group, valiantly run for some time by Margaret Smith, has recently gained a new lease of life by the addition of Larry St. Croix and John Maloney. The meetings are held every third week, two days before Town Council meets to consider the submissions for the Corsham area as notified by Wiltshire Council. The Town Council can only make recommendations to Wiltshire Council, which is the planning authority. The group vets the pink lists of planning applications produced by Corsham Town Council and meets at the Town Hall to view the display of written details and drawings for each application and to discuss whether there are objections and, if so, to make submissions to Wiltshire Council. The following are some of the major applications that the group has considered during the last 9 months ~
The former Gladman site on the Bath Road, Pickwick [opposite St. Patrick Catholic Church]: the group met with representatives of Redrow housebuilders last May and questioned them closely about various aspects of their proposals. Since then we have keeping an eye on developments and liaising with the Pickwick Association which has taken a lead in pursuing the details of scheme. They have sought advice from a specialist environmental and ecological law firm and the outcome is that a robust, authoritative legal document has been lodged with the Council.
La Piccola, Pickwick Road: a submission was made objecting to the new timber clad frontage for which planning permission had not been obtained [it’s in the Corsham Conservation Area] and subsequently a Wiltshire Council Enforcement visited the site and has now received a retrospective planning application which will be considered by the Town Council.
Mansion House, Pickwick Road: this development has caused considerable local concern due to the proposed replacement of the old library building with a taller concrete and glazed structure which is considered to blight the setting of the 1721 building. The planning group raised various points and questions of information.
Gazette and Herald
CCS are setting a working party involving members of the planning group to draft a consultation document about street signs and frontages in Corsham.
John and Larry have been asked to meet with Corsham Print who own 17-19 Pickwick Road about the possibility of getting grants to maintain those Listed Buildings.
John Maloney