WORK is about to start on Corsham's new-look shopping precinct after the £5m improvements were given the go-ahead.

Planners approved Castlefield Land's scheme despite concerns that graves in the old graveyard will disappear under a new car park.

Families with relatives buried there are furious that the revamp includes building a car park on the graveyard.

The developer has said the headstones will be taken off and re-sited on the graveyard wall, and has refused to alter the plans.

Town councillors have accepted the scheme is not perfect, but say they realise it is this or nothing as there is not the money to rip the utilitarian precinct down and start again.

The development includes doubling the size of the Somerfield supermarket, building two new shops, turning the old graveyard into a car park, building new toilets, and turning the chapel into a restaurant and bar.

Council chairman Roger Fido pleaded with North Wiltshire district councillors to approve the plans on Wednesday night.

The district council's planning officers recommended the revamp be turned down because of the plan to turn the graveyard into a car park.

But Mr Fido told the meeting he was begging them to overlook the objections from the planning officers and English Heritage, which also objected to the car park.

He said this was Corsham's one and only chance to have The Precinct, which will be renamed Martingate, improved.

He said: "When the district council bought the precinct we knew it would not be able to fund improvement. The one solution has taken a long time, and timing is critical.

"Somerfield wants to be operational by late autumn and any delays will probably mean both parties abandoning the project. This would be an unmitigated disaster for Corsham."

He said in a perfect world Corsham would like to see the bulldozers come in and demolish The Precinct.

He said: "But we know that that is not going to happen, and this scheme is the best you can hope for."

The development hung in the balance as district councillors were concerned about the idea of graves disappearing under a gravel car park.

But they decided the scheme was too important for Corsham to risk losing what is believed to be the one chance to improve The Precinct.

Castlefield Land will be asked to put a seat and Garden of Remembrance sign in the remaining part of the graveyard which will be turned into a garden area.