Plans for old Bowyers Trowbridge factory to be reassessed

The former Bowyers meat processing factory has been empty for 15 years

The redevelopment of a pork pie factory can not go ahead until legal agreements are completed and new planning policies are considered, a council has said.

Developer Innox Mills' bid for 284 homes at the former Bowyers factory in Trowbridge was submitted in 2021.

Councillors voted to grant permission in 2023, subject to it providing things such as affordable housing but work to deliver them is yet to be completed.

Wiltshire Council said it would review the bid at its next planning meeting.

The local authority said it now also needs to take into account the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which was adjusted in December 2023.

The changes mean that Wiltshire Council must demonstrate a minimum of a four-year supply for new housing, which is a reduction from the previous minimum five-year supply, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was told.

Councillors voted to grant permission for 284 dwellings in 2023, subject to legal agreements

Councillor Nick Botterill said this would be an "important consideration" in future planning applications.

Currently, the recommendation is for councillors to continue supporting this application, subject to the completion of the legal agreements.

The Innox Mills development is due to provide a new cultural quarter made up of micro businesses, food and drink, art and independent retail.

Trowbridge Council leader Stewart Palmen described the plans as a "key milestone in the redevelopment of Trowbridge as the County Town of Wiltshire."

The plans will be reviewed at the council's next Strategic Planning Committee meeting on 17 March.