Bowyers factory in Trowbridge could become new homes - bbc.com

By Kelly Morgan

BBC News

New plans have been submitted for a major redevelopment of a town's former pork pie factory.

Bowyers meat factory was a major employer in Trowbridge for decades but the building has been empty since the site closed on 9 May 2008.

Innox Mills Ltd is planning to convert the brownfield site into 253 homes and a commercial property.

Wiltshire Council's consultation period ends on 14 July and the authority has been approached for comment.

The plans have been met with a mixed response from residents with some positive about the redevelopment, but others airing concerns about how the town's infrastructure will cope.

Councillor Chris Hoar, of Trowbridge Town Council said: "People need homes and homes need to be built. This is a brownfield site, it's been derelict for a long time.

"We're all concerned about infrastructure. We're all concerned about having access to GP appointments and dentists.

"I'm hoping that Wiltshire Council and the government can step up and bring in more investment as part of the whole package of regeneration for the town."

Resident and former business owner, Hilary Henley, is concerned that the town's infrastructure is not sufficient to support the additional number of people that the Bowyers plan and other developments in the area will bring.

"My concern is that there are not enough doctors and dentists around at the moment without all the extra housing that the site is going to bring," said Ms Henley.

"It's difficult enough to get an appointment.

"If there's about 6,000 houses going up in Trowbridge, that's at least 12,000 people looking for doctors and dentists," she added.

Planning consultant, Chris Beaver, told BBC Radio Wiltshire that after years of planning there are now technical solutions to the complexities that building on the site presents, including maintaining a home for horseshoe bats which live on there.

"There are bats roosting in some of the historic buildings. Part of the proposal is to convert part of one of the existing buildings into a permanent bat roost.

"The River Biss runs along the site, so part also includes a comprehensive landscaping scheme.

"New planting will provide vegetation that the bats can forage on, because the bats fly along the river," added Mr Beaver.

The Bowyers site was one of the biggest employers in the town through the late 20th century all the way up to it's closure.

Builder Jon Kimber worked at the factory making pigs in blankets across the Christmas period of 1991-1992 and is now part of the team planning to develop the site.

He said despite it being "freezing cold" it was a great place to work.

Mr Kimber said he feels "very disheartened" to see the building in it's current state but that he's now working hard on the renovations to bring the site "back to life" for Trowbridge.

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