Trowbridge facelift plan - half the money to go to town hall

But photos taken around town show many eyesores which could do with attention.

Of the £16,347,056 awarded to Wiltshire Council from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, £8,176,810 has been allocated to restoring and refurbishing the Grade 2 listed town hall.

“The investment will maximise the capacity for the building to host an exciting and vibrant programme of community-led cultural and social activities for the people of Trowbridge, enabling it to fulfil its potential as a landmark asset for the town,” says Wiltshire Council.

That leaves £8.1 million for the council’s plan to smarten up the town, opening independent shops and start-ups, creating new jobs and providing more homes above buildings in the town centre.

But people are already pouring cold water on the plan to makeover a town called “stiflingly depressing”.

The council’s ambition is to turn Trowbridge into “a place that people want to visit and spend time in”, shaking off the dowdiness which has caused some to ironically dub it “Trow Vegas”, because they say it is currently anything but the glitzy Las Vegas.

The scheme proposes “pedestrian improvement” of Wicker Hill, Hill Street, Fore Street, Manvers Street, Church Street, Union Street, Castle Street and Roundstone Street. This will involve widening pavements and footpaths, laying new paving to match that in the town centre and, in Union Street and Church Street, removing traffic signals and replacing them with zebra crossings.

The council wants to create a “Trowbridge Trail” which it says will “encourage people into the historic town centre and improve the image and identity of the town by transforming pedestrian and public areas”

The plan also includes development of the River Biss corridor between Town Bridge and Castle Street Bridge, which will involve planting trees, installing benches, creating new paths and pocket parks and installing new lighting, “to improve green infrastructure and increase wellbeing and amenity value, making Trowbridge a pleasant place to walk and cycle, increasing visiting time and encouraging footfall”.

Pitman House could do with as facelift

The council said last week that before the Trowbridge facelift begins it wants to hear from the public on how they want New Trowbridge to look – and to say why they do and don’t go there.

Wiltshire Times readers have already speaking their minds on the plan with some comments on our website pouring cold water on the council’s ambition as residents instead say littering, dog fouling and too much noise from vehicles need to be addressed.

Comments include:

“Will it make enough of a difference I wonder as the centre of town lacks sufficient key shops and no amount of civic beautification will get over the lack of reasons to go there?”

“The most effective and cheapest way of making Trowbridge a desirable place to go, would be to install acoustic cameras to identify and clamp down on all the noisy motorbikes and illegally modified car exhausts. You can polish up Trowbridge all you want, but if it sounds like you're at Brands Hatch then people won't come.”

“I've never experienced anything like Trowbridge town centre. I had a particularly experiential moment a couple of weeks ago, when witnessing someone's dog fouling the broad vista of Fore Street just in front of Costa Coffee, an experience indeed. Sunday mornings also provide a pavement spattered sample of Saturday night's international cuisine offerings.”

“Flogging a dead horse. People go out of town to outlets now. Everything you want under one roof with ample free parking. RIP town centres.”

“There are a few shop premises that are an absolute eyesore and need pulling down and replacing. I also think we need better and more car parking along with a by-pass to reduce rush hour pollution, noise and general congestion. But this is all a pipe dream, it would cost far too much.”

“Better spend some of it on employing some 24 HR litter police with powers to fine and arrest the litter t*****s that drop their c*** everywhere, not only in the town centre.”

“It'll be interesting if anything can be done. I don't know why on earth anyone would willingly visit. It is stiflingly depressing.”

“Plenty of town residents refer to the place as Trow-Vegas as well. I've briefly looked at the plans on the website referred to, there seems a lot of reference to widening pavements. Not sure what that's going to do the revive the town. What Trowbridge needs is industry, comparatively skilled and well-paid jobs (which it used to have), then the rest will follow. The last thing the town needs is yet more budget shops, coffee shops, burger bars, charity shops etc.”

“I unfortunately was brought to Trowbridge in the 60s and even then I thought the town was a depressing place to live and I still feel that way today. A large part of my life was spent living or working in other countries, and while I looked forward to coming home, I felt my spirits drop when I arrived and they still do even now.”

“Trowbridge is a hidden gem, off the beaten track, a backwater. Let it stay that way. Quiet and peaceful shopping. Free parking too. Historic buildings tucked away, a town centre park with amenities. There is much to like.”