A DEVELOPER has pulled out of plans to revamp the centre of Pewsey following the collapse of an agreement with Kennet District Council.

Heritage Commercial Properties said it is no longer interested in developing the area between High Street and Broomcroft Road, including the area around the village's heritage centre.

The company had been offered the development chance by Kennet after Heritage lost out on a leisure and housing scheme at The Wharf, Devizes.

Kennet signed an agreement in August with Heritage to develop both the Pewsey site, and land at North Gate, Devizes, as a shopping centre.

Both schemes collapsed last week after Heritage said moves to include more affordable housing in the Pewsey project made it less viable. Parish and district councillor John Cooke told Tuesday's meeting of Pewsey Parish Council that he was not sorry about the news.

"I wish I could say I was sorry that Heritage have pulled out, but I can't," he said. "It was not a very good arrangement. I feel now that Pewsey can get more of what it wants."

He said he hoped local people would be consulted on a new development brief for the area. Coun Cooke added: "Now that it has been separated from the Devizes schemes, the site can stand on its own feet."

Coun Alex Carder was concerned that council tax payers' money had been wasted during the abortive exercise but Coun Cooke told him that the developers had been responsible for its own costs.

The district council owns the access to the Pewsey site, but the land itself is in multi-ownership.

Coun Jerry Willmott, leader of Kennet District Council, said: "I want to reassure the people of Pewsey that the district council wants to facilitate a development off Broomcroft Road in accordance with the development brief discussed with local people during a recent consultation exercise.

"That work will be completed by the district council. Council officers have been instructed to market this site separately to the North Gate site."

Miles Ashley, Heritage's managing director, said Kennet had wanted to make significant chances to the scheme established earlier this year, which had substantially affected the project's viability.