New lease of life at last for Goldiggers?

Tribecka Land Ltd, based in Olney, Buckinghamshire, which created the Chicago Rock Caf in Trowbridge, is now the first choice to develop the site of the former nightclub in Timber Street, Chippenham.

Although the company will not confirm who the tenants might be in the scheme, they have plans afoot to build shops and food outlets on the ground floor with flats above.

Managing director Neil Turvey said: "We can't reveal who the tenants might be as that is confidential commercial information.

"We have been aware of the building for a number of years, and we have wanted to buy it for the last three years.

"We have only just found out we are the preferred developers. We hope to submit a planning application early in the New Year."

North Wiltshire District Council's executive committee made the decision at a closed-door meeting last week.

Members discussed proposals from 15 bidders in the original line-up, including one by the Station Hill Baptist Church to turn the former art deco cinema and nightclub into a community and Christian resource centre.

Only five of the original bids were considered to have enough detail to make them worthy contenders and in the end two companies withdrew their bids including a scheme to create a cinema on the site and another to set up a Marks & Spencer store with housing above.

Tribecka Land proposes to pull down the old building to make way for three units for shops, food and drink outlets, and 20 two-bedroom flats and four one-bedroom flats.

A second bidder, Churchill Retirement, has been kept as a stand-by with a scheme to build three retail units with 34 sheltered apartments above.

Mr Turvey said: "We are meeting on site with architects soon but it is our intention to demolish the building."

He said he was aware of the history of the site with developers E&J Redditch Ltd and was confident they would not be dogged by the same problems.

"I very much hope not," he said. "We are working closely with the council and will crack on with it."

District council leader Coun Ruth Coleman said she also hoped the redevelopment would be a success.

"I have been here before but I think that by looking at a more mixed development we have a chance of getting something that will be finished, and will be an asset to the town," she said.

But the plan is not universally admired and Chippenham Town Council leader Coun Sandie Webb raised concerns about the possible number of new homes particularly in the light of the number of houses going up on the Flowers site.

"The mixed retail use is reasonably good news but what rings alarm bells is the high density flats. It sounds over the top," she said. "There must be allocated parking. "

Coun Philip Allnatt said he would call in the district council's decision for the scrutiny committee to consider.

"They went for the money, which will be substantial," he said. "It will be used for social housing around the district.

"But it is the wrong thing for the community and they have not really obtained enough information about the bids. It is all subject to contract and to my mind they are no different to E&J in that the bid is speculative.

"It will bring more housing to the town centre," he said. "We're also going to see housing on the New Road car park. It is short-termism."

He said the developers had been given six months for the contract.

Goldiggers nightclub was closed more than three years ago in September 2000 and E&J was selected to redevelop the site in July 2001. In June 2003, the district council rescinded the contract when the developers failed to complete the contract.