Concern has been raised about a “isolated” and “inaccessible” leisure park in Trowbridge a year after controversial changes were made to the sites car park.
In August last year the Wiltshire Times reported that St Stephen’s Place Leisure Park had been sold for £11.34 million, with the new owners believed to be Iroko Zen, a French real estate investment trust.
The leisure park, which is home to popular national brands like Nando’s, Frankie and Bennie’s, and the Odeon, has faced a number of challenges since the takeover, primarily relating to parking issues.
The parking restrictions that saw people fined for leaving the site were scrapped late last year, and the signs on the site have now had the stipulations taped over.
Cllr Stephen Cooper, mayor of Trowbridge, said: “St Stephen’s Place is an area that definitely suffered from the perfect storm as far as access is concerned.
“Poor old St Stephen’s Place has lurched from one access-based crisis to another for well over a year now and it’s still going on.
“Obviously, I have to go to the Civic Centre quite regularly and I’m afraid I do tend to drive there from my home on the outskirts of Trowbridge.
“What used to be a simple run into town that took five minutes or so the other day took me twenty-five. Then you have to remember that you can’t get back out of St Stephen’s Place onto County Way anymore and have to go up Castle Street, down Fore street and Wicker Hill, all the time navigating illegally parked cars and vans that seem oblivious to the chaos they’re causing on already over congested roads.
“In my opinion St Stephen’s Place has a perfect right to feel isolated and to some extent inaccessible.
“It’s just unfortunate that Trowbridge also seems to be a town planner’s toybox at the moment, not just around St Stephens’ Place either.”
Despite this businesses claim things have improved since last year, when there were calls to boycott the car park. The manager of one business on the site, speaking anonymously, said that while business had taken a knock, “people had got used to it” and that they are “more understanding”, adding footfall had “stayed pretty normal”.
Odeon declined to comment on its business performance for this story, but Trowbridge resident Mike Baxter, who has spent much of his career working in the cinema industry, and who retains an abiding love for his old profession, said he believed footfall at the cinema had been strong.
He said: “It’s all dependent on the quality of the films. That’s brought people from a distance back to Trowbridge.
“I’ve noticed an uptick in footfall at the Odeon. People are becoming savvy at the parking.”
He also, and said the combination of cinema and food "must be working. The footfall for Wagamama's, and Prezzo, must be pretty high, and the Valeroso lounge is always packed."
Nevertheless, Mr Baxter did indicate that there was still confusion among those parking on the site, especially due to signs not being displayed at eye-level but higher up.
Mike said: “In the last two months, I must have told about 120 people what to do when they come in here.”
A manager at another firm operating on the site said there had been “so many questions” about signs at the car park but explained “business hasn’t been bad”.
While business appears to have become steadier, multiple sites on the business park remain vacant.
A letting agent representing the owners said they were hoping to “be able to move forward quickly” with attracting new business. They said they did not know how long the units had been vacant.
It appears the sites have been vacant for some time however, with a notice on the inside of the former Dough & Co branch dated February 22, 2023, announcing that the lease had ended and the Landlord had taken possession of the premises.
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Responding to claims that an extensive roadworks connected to the project on Longfield Gyratory had caused challenges accessing St Stephen's Place and surrounding areas, Wiltshire Council said it was sorry for inconvenience and that the works would deliver long-term benefits.
Cllr Martin Smith, cabinet member for Highways, said: “We recognise that road improvements of this scale can cause disruption and we apologise for any inconvenience caused by these works, but we have carefully planned the work in phases to minimise disruption as much as we can.
“The essential upgrades to the Longfield Gyratory in Trowbridge will help to reduce journey times, increase vehicle capacity and make it safer for both pedestrians and cyclists to move across the gyratory.
“The project will not only support the new leisure centre but also deliver long-term benefits for all road users in Trowbridge.
“The improvements have been modelled using projected traffic growth data for 2041, ensuring that the gyratory is future-proofed and capable of meeting the long-term needs of the community.
“We’re committed to making our roads safer, more efficient, and more accessible for everyone, and these improvements will do just that.”
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