FUTURE possibilities for a new community facility opposite the railway station in central Bradford on Avon are to be explored by architects and masterplanners this autumn.

Town and unitary ward councillors yesterday welcomed news that Wiltshire Council has secured £85,000 in funding from the government’s One Public Estate programme to explore the redevelopment potential for a site currently home to the town’s health centre, police and fire station.

The funding will be used to conduct feasibility and environmental studies to see whether the site could be redeveloped to benefit the town, including a new health centre; combined facilities for fire, police and community emergency volunteers; a new museum; a tourist information centre; council offices and social housing.

It does not yet include Bradford on Avon swimming pool but Wiltshire Council’s unitary ward member, Cllr Sarah Gibson, said she hoped this would eventually be included in the studies.

Cllr Gibson, who first started exploring this idea six years ago as an architect and local resident, said: “I am extremely pleased. This is my reason for being here. This project is the reason why I first got involved in local politics.”

In 2014, she took her ideas for the site at the station car park to the then mayor, Cllr John Potter. In 2017 and 2019, by then a Wiltshire councillor, she used the site as the basis for the design module of the Bath University MSc in Modern Building Design. This was exhibited in St Margaret’s Hall in May 2018.

Cllr Gibson, who is also a town councillor, says: “There’s huge potential to make better use of the site at the station car park. Many residents were interested in the various possibilities I exhibited at St Margaret’s Hall a couple of years ago.

“It’s hugely exciting that, with this funding, we can take one step closer to seeing the development of better community facilities that will benefit our town for decades to come.”

Cllr Gibson added: “This is the starting point for working up serious proposals. We need to open up the site and connect it to the wider area, including the river and the Barton Farm Country Park.

“The site is quite clearly developable but we need to look at the wider area, including the swimming pool and the station car park.

“We need to drag the town centre across the bridge into the station car park and open up the green spaces of the town.

"We need to connect it to the wider area, including the River Avon and the Barton Farm Country Park.”

The Bradford on Avon project was originally a runner up in the OPE programme for Wiltshire. After the winning project failed to go ahead, it has now been allocated the funds to go ahead with the feasibility and environmental studies.

The £85,000 funding will be used to engage a team of architects and masterplanners on the project and help establish what it could become in the future by testing different ideas for the site.

This work is expected to begin in the autumn, in consultation with Bradford on Avon Town Council, other public sector partners, residents and businesses.

Once ideas have been collated, any plans will, at a later stage of the process, be subject to full consultation. Any development of the site is some way off and would also be subject to further applications for funding that would be led by the town council.

Cllr Philip Whitehead, leader of Wiltshire Council and cabinet member for economic development, said: “This funding will help to develop ideas for the future of this central Bradford on Avon site and represents the first step on the road to redevelopment.

“What this project won’t do is come up with quick solutions – once these plans are developed, the scheme still has a long way ahead of any build, as all stages will be subject to consultation, and the development would require significant funding.

“We’re looking forward to working with the town council, the health centre, our partners, businesses and the local community to explore what could be possible for this important central site.”

The mayor of Bradford on Avon, Cllr Simon McNeill-Ritchie, said: “This funding is the result of a three-year process and I am grateful to Wiltshire Council for their work to secure this opportunity for the town. I hope that it marks the beginning of a working partnership that will lead to even better public health and other civic services for our residents.”

Dr Janice Patrick, senior partner at the Bradford on Avon Health Centre, said: “The partners at Bradford on Avon Health Centre fully support and welcome this exciting opportunity.

“The future of general practice is to work more collaboratively with wider community organisations to provide effective health and wellbeing services. This requires investment in not only people but fit-for-purpose buildings in easily accessible locations.”

The OPE programme provides support and funding to councils around the country to create property-focused projects that bring economic growth; bring services together; and generate efficiencies through capital income and reduced running costs.