Wiltshire Council’s Old Depot site south of Priorsfield, east of the Salisbury Road was bought by Sainsbury’s for their abortive attempt to build a supermarket for Marlborough. It is still owned by Sainsbury’s.
Now planning permission has finally been granted for the development scheme which was first put forward by Wiltshire Council in July 2009.
The consent follows the April 17 signing of a ‘Section 106’ agreement (under which a developer pays toward infrastructure improvements made necessary by new housing) between Sainsbury’s and Wiltshire Council.
The Council’s plan for the site includes eighteen live-and-work units and fourteen homes. The live-and-work units are designed for small businesses with living quarters above and workshops or stores below. The living quarters cannot be occupied as homes separately from the business use.
In January 2012 Marlborough News Online reported that Sainsbury’s had decided to sell the land after they had abandoned legal attempts to defeat the granting of planning permission to Tesco. Today (May 8) Sainsbury’s told us they have instructed agents to put forward a marketing plan so the site can be sold.
The 106 agreement means the developer will have to pay the Council three sums of money:
1) £50,852 “towards the cost of expanding and enhancing educational facilities in the locality of the land.”
2) £20,000 “towards the provision of a pedestrian/cycle link at the east end of the land.”
3) £96,640 “towards the cost of off-site recreation facilities in the Marlborough area.”
Sainsbury’s told Marlborough News Online that they had signed the 106 agreement as it was a pre-condition for planning consent: “Any party interested in acquiring the site has the benefit of an implementable planning consent.”
It will be a matter for negotiation as to how the 106 monies will be split between Sainsbury’s and the developer who buys the land from them.
Sainsbury’s point out that any buyer does not have to abide by the existing plan for which consent has been granted. They could either start again with a new plan and seek new planning consent, or they could apply to Wiltshire Council to alter the plan.
In July 2009 it was estimated that decontamination work on the site would cost about £250,000. Sainsbury’s have now commissioned a ‘ground inspection survey’ so the buyer will know exactly how much decontamination work is needed and what it will cost.
The original outline planning permission was granted in 2009 once the height of some of the planned buildings was reduced so as not to damage the view of the ridge.
One part of the Council’s plan is already causing some opposition. There will be no alterations to the Salisbury Road traffic flows to accommodate new traffic from the development.
However, the pavement on the east side of Salisbury Road is to be built out removing the deceleration lane, so as to make the road approaching the brow of the hill from the town two lanes only. The idea is to prevent two-way traffic passing the cars parked outside homes on the west side of Salisbury Road north of the brow of the hill.
The planners’ intention is to use the parked cars as a form of traffic calming to improve road safety. One driver who uses the road frequently told Marlborough News Online: “Have you ever not given way by driving onto that slip-road bit when facing a juggernaut charging down the hill passing the parked cars? It’ll cause huge jams.”
The Queen is coming to Marlborough
