A MAJOR milestone has been achieved in a plan to revitalise and regenerate parts of Melksham town centre through the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

Chippenham MP Michelle Donelan has submitted a £5 million bid to secure Government investment through the Levelling Up Fund.

The bid is aimed at renovating and reopening Melksham House, with the plan to return it to use by local people and obtain investment in other areas of the town centre.

Miss Donelan has been consulting with local people and businesses to identify locations that need investment such as Avonside and the existing Melksham Library site.

It’s part of a strategic plan the MP is leading with Wiltshire Council to bring investment to the town and revitalise locations that have been overlooked for many years.

The MP said: “It is well known that this Government is investing large sums into areas of the country that want to transform their town centres and I want to make sure Melksham gets a fair share.

“The ideas and priorities of the people of Melksham have guided this investment bid, including the focus on Melksham House, which is an important place to many, many people in the town and I am thankful to everyone that responded to my consultations.

“If the bid is a success, it is really important that local people are involved in deciding what the community element of Melksham House is. I will be leading a consultation to gather suggestions and get everyone involved, because we have to get it right.

“This is just the beginning of an important programme of regeneration for Melksham and the next step will be working with the council to create a strategic plan that can include other areas of the town, so we can act on more investment and improvement opportunities.

“I am pleased that we can announce such great progress in Melksham and I look forward to seeing what we can do in other parts of the constituency.”

Other town sites being targeted for regeneration include Avonside, which could offer riverside leisure and hospitality facilities, and sites vacated when Melksham Campus opens, including the existing library building.

The proposal to renovate and reopen Melksham House has been submitted to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, which is designed to re-energise town centres, improve community space and help local businesses.

The bid for Melksham House focuses on strengthening the local economy, providing community and cultural space and protecting an important local historic building.

It would see Melksham House re-opened for use as a town centre hub supporting the growth of local businesses alongside community and cultural facilities, with local people being consulted about the best use of the community space opened up by the investment.

The Government is expected to make an announcement in the autumn on which Levelling Up Fund bids have been successful and the process is thought to be highly competitive so Melksham’s bid is not certain to succeed.

There will be an opportunity for unsuccessful applicants to resubmit a revised bid in future funding rounds, which would potentially allow a second Melksham bid that includes additional locations identified by the local community as fit for investment.

The bid for Melksham is part of a constituency-wide programme of investment and regeneration, which involves businesses, Wiltshire Council and local residents.

Alongside her work for Melksham, the MP is also leading conversations with business and community leaders in Chippenham and Corsham.

In Chippenham, she is chairing a working group of businesses and premises owners that will take place in early July to discuss options for investing in the town centre.

The MP said: “Conversations about investment in Chippenham town centre are well underway and I have some interesting meetings coming up about Corsham. It feels like there is ambition from all sides to work together and really deliver something exciting.”

Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council said: “The opening of Melksham Campus in 2022 will transform the centre of Melksham and the Levelling Up Fund bid for Melksham House is a perfect fit with our investment plans for Melksham.

“We know from our experience of delivering similar projects that the reopening of iconic town centre buildings can bring a boost to a town. The Mansion House in Corsham is a good example, where an historic building was returned to use thanks to sensible, well-targeted investment.”