Salisbury Road development: Redrow close to agreement on hotel contract

Redrow have applied for planning permission to put this sign on the edge of the site by the A346

Two senior executives from Redrow, the developers for the Salisbury Road housing, came to answer questions from the Marlborough Town Council planning committee on Tuesday (May 30.)   

This meeting saw three important developments in the scheme. However at their planning committee meeting, councillors were unhappy with the mix of housing types and are seeking a revision - see above for separate story .

First, Gavin Hill, Redrow’s technical director for the south west, assured councillors that his company was close to agreement with a “well known national hotel operator” to buy the part of the site which has planning permission for the 60-bed hotel.

It also emerged that this (un-named as the deal is still commercially sensitive – but presumably either Premier Inn or Travel Lodge) hotel operator had also been in negotiations with the Crown Estate, but these ended when the Crown Estate decided to sell the whole site to a single developer.

Secondly, Mr Hill was questioned as to why the planning permission had denied public access to the wild flower meadow.  He said he was not aware of this and that an access gate would be included.  Councillor Bryan Castle told Mr Hill: “We are very keen on wild flower meadows – we have several here.  But access is everything.”

Thirdly, it was confirmed that a management company would be set up to run the whole estate financed by a service charge.  This Mr Hill explained is now the accepted practice as local authorities do not want responsibility for maintaining paths, public spaces and playgrounds.

Ted Nelthorpe, Redrow’s design manager, explained to councillors how their standard house designs had been adapted to reflect Marlborough’s architecture – with attention to brick patterns and the inclusion of hanging tiles.

However, there was some debate about the mix of house sizes and types and the affordable homes.  It became clear that none of the affordable homes would be to buy outright – no help, as one councillor put it, for people starting on the housing ladder.

Even the one bedroom affordable homes would all either be for shared equity schemes or for rent.  This debate continued in the committee’s formal meeting that followed the Q and A with the Redrow executives.