Town councillors in Trowbridge have objected to plans to remove some old steps from the Clarks Mill site to The Shires multi-storey car park.

They say the steps are an important part of the access from the footpath alongside the River Biss to Asda and the town’s main shopping centre.

Councillors approved the objection on Tuesday (September 10) at the council’s town development committee meeting.

The delegated decision said: “The Town Council objects to the removal of the steps from the site to the adjacent site at The Shires car park from the plans.

“These are an integral element of the proposal in accordance with the River Biss Public Realm Design Guide to improve active travel links from the site and along the riverside.”

The applicants, Barook Developments Ltd of Wimbourne in Dorset, first submitted plans to convert Clarks Mill into homes in January 2022.

They were granted planning consent, subject to several conditions, some of which Barook Developments is now applying to vary or remove.

In its original decision notice, Wiltshire Council said: “No dwelling shall be first occupied until the new steps linking the Clarks Mill car park with the public footpath behind The Shires multi-storey car park has been built and fully made accessible to the public.”

The council said the steps and the public access through the site to the bridge crossing alongside The Handle House should remain free from obstruction in perpetuity in the interests of highway safety and to improve pedestrian links alongside the River Biss to the town centre.

 

Barook Developments has already converted the first, second and third floors of Clarks Mill to create a new fourth floor with a replacement roof structure.

This has provided a total of 18 apartments in the building, as well as a further four homes in a first-floor extension of Mill House, where there are 16 apartments in total.

The ground floor of Clarks Mill is being used for bin storage and a bicycle store, and existing offices have not been retained.

Now, the company wants to remove the steps to The Shires car park and landscape the area.

The variation being sought relates only to Clarks Mill. There are no changes to Mill House, which has 16 apartments in total.

Wiltshire Council is due to make a decision on the latest application by early December.