ALMOST one year on from the controversial Good Energy debacle questions are still left unanswered.

When Covid-19 first gripped the world in 2020 Good Energy announced it was pulling out of its deal with Wiltshire Council to use the £7m Sadlers Mead car park and adjacent offices.

The company blamed the pandemic and now its employees take up extra space in the local authority’s Monkton Park offices.

Leader of the council, Richard Clewer confirmed Good Energy will not move to the new offices.

“Even though the pandemic has changed the demand for office spaces, the site remains a prime location in Chippenham, and we are continuing to explore other options,” he told the gazette.

“With the easing of Covid measures it is vital that facilities are provided to ensure we support Wiltshire communities and businesses, and we are hopeful that the site will progress when the office working patterns and commercial property market settles.”

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The car park, which has caused ill-feeling among residents in the area as it is rarely used for parking and has seen multiple complaints of anti-social behaviour, was paid for through grant funding from the Department for Transport.

With coronavirus restrictions easing, the council is “confident” the site will still play a big role for businesses in the town.

This echoes the statements made by the former leader of Wiltshire Council, Philip Whitehead, who at the time said the site’s close link to London train routes made it important in the strategic development of the area.

A spokesman for Good Energy confirmed that the fees for the building design has been repaid to Wiltshire Council.

A spokesman for Chippenham Town Council said: “The Town Council have no control or influence over the offices or the car park, this is a matter for County Hall to make comment, as they are in the ownership of Wiltshire Council – we do however hope that they are able to play a role for business in the town, in the future.”

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Cllr Nick Murry, who represents the Monkton Park area, said there’s still unanswered questions and that Chippenham needs expanded car parking north of the station, as well as private sector investment to match the DfT grant.

“Instead we got the Sadlers Mead multi storey car park, which Wiltshire Council insisted had to be part of a scheme to keep Good Energy in the town,” he added.

“We now have less car parking spaces on the north side of the station, hardly any increase overall and little prospect of developing the old college site and remainder of the car park that Good Energy committed to moving into,” he added.

“I would like to know how we ended up here. How was the DfT money allowed to be diverted this way, why weren’t the consequences thought through, how does Wiltshire Council intend to make up for the lost investment opportunities and how much this is going to cost the council tax payers to sort out?

“I think Chippenham deserves some answers.”