The redrawn constituency of Chippenham will be contested for the first time in this year’s general election.

The constituency currently known as Chippenham will be divided up, a small section in the south falling into South West Wiltshire, a large central chunk belonging to the new Melksham and Devizes, the northern tip going to South Cotswolds.

The new Chippenham will stretch across from Corsham to Calne and up to Royal Wootton Basset.

It will include villages around its border such as Rudloe, Foxham, Lydiard Millicent, Broad Hinton, Winterbourne Bassett and Lacock.

Wiltshire Times: Conservative Nic Puntis and Liberal Democrat Sarah Gibson are both confirmed candidates.
Michelle Donelan, the Conservative MP who has represented Chippenham since 2015, will leave the Chippenham constituency to stand for the new Melksham and Devizes seat.

Nic Puntis, who represents the Chippenham Cepen Park & Derriads division on the county council, will take her place as the Conservative candidate for Chippenham.

Bradford-on-Avon South Councillor Sarah Gibson will be challenging him as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the area.

Meanwhile, Declan Baseley is confirmed be the Green Party candidate for Chippenham.

The Reform Party has put Anthony Bohana forward as its candidate.

Labour has yet to confirm a candidate for the area.

According to an analysis published by the BBC, if the 2019 election had used the new constituencies, Chippenham would have been won by the Conservatives.

Data from YouGov released in January 2024 suggests that the Liberal Democrats are currently favoured for the new seat.

Their predicted vote share is 34 per cent, with the Conservatives close behind at 32 per cent.

The largest towns of the new constituency will be Chippenham, Calne and Royal Wootton Basset, with a combined population of over 69,000 people.

Following a four-year planning process, Wiltshire Council recently granted permission for a new housing development at the old Chippenham ambulance station on Malmesbury Road.

Wiltshire Council’s local plan states that a new link road to connect the A4 and A350 will be required to provide a more resilient transport network and help with congestion in the town centre, which is expected to get worse.

The local plan references concerns in Calne about the growing imbalance between local employment and the population.

Finally, the market town of Royal Wootton Bassett is described as a focus for growth, being “the largest settlement in the area with reasonable employment opportunities and service and facilities.”