Town Council calls for compensation after Vaults scheme fails (From Wiltshire Times)

Town Council calls for compensation after Vaults scheme fails

3:50pm Thursday 17th December 2009

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Bradford on Avon Town Council has asked planning officers to ensure cash-strapped town organisations receive compensation for the loss to the community of the Public Vaults in the Kingston Mill project.

Developer Linden Homes is awaiting the outcome of their recent application to change the Vaults from community use to retail, following financial advice from consultants.

The town council is hoping Wiltshire Council will make compensation to cover the time and money put into bids for the site by community groups a condition, should permission be granted.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Simon Fisher said: “Linden Homes is a commercial organisation, not a charity, and if the change of use makes the Kingston Mills site more economically viable then it has our support.

“But these are difficult times and we feel the groups which put so much time, effort and money, into their bids for the building ought to be compensated for its change of use.”

The Lamb Yard Project hoped to use the Vaults as an art centre, with a café and space for exhibitions and performances.

Lamb Yard Project acting chairman Moira Forsyth said that while the group was not actively seeking compensation, should it be offered it would be very welcome.

She said: “Just my time alone provided privately would have cost £30,000, and there were weeks where I worked a 12-hour day, though we wouldn’t consider that much compensation because we believed in what we were doing.

“I don’t blame Linden Homes in any way, they were not at fault.

“We haven’t been able to find an alternative site yet, but there are talks under way and it is not a lost cause.”

The Preservation Trust had brought together the Bradford Museum and the Tourist Information Centre to create a heritage centre.

Preservation Trust chairman David Moss said: “We put a lot of time and effort into our submission and support what the town council are saying.

“I hope that now the planning application has gone through, Wiltshire Council will pay attention to it.”

A Linden Homes spokesman said: “Our revised planning application has been submitted and we are looking forward to the town council'’s formal reaction. We are obviously keen to progress our proposal, as the previous scheme was unviable and would have resulted in the buildings being left derelict. We now have a viable scheme that can be delivered.”

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