By Holly Robinson

PROPOSALS for the derelict Kingston Mill site in Bradford on Avon will bring vibrancy to the area and will take people on a journey from the town into the countryside, according to the developer.

Plans for the 2.5 hectare site have caused much controversy in recent years but developer Taywood Homes hopes its recent exhibitions will prevent the public outcry which accompanied the previous application.

The latest plans, due to be submitted this month, include areas designated for commercial and retail use, a civic square, 130 units of housing and 200 car parking spaces, mostly in decks under the buildings.

The planned development is split into three areas, New Mills, The Mill Race and The Island, each with a different character, and many of the buildings will be three storeys high.

The design takes into account the possibility of the river flooding, and an amphitheatre at the Lamb Yard end would act as a flood basin, with some of the contemporary buildings on stilts.

An existing underground leat will be opened up to create a water feature.

Emma Jones, projects land manager for Taywood Homes, said: "Each area is going to have its own character with a network of linking spaces through the site, including a riverside walk.

"The New Mills area, near the town centre, will be more urban and commercial while the Island area will be homes and an area where we are trying to bring the country into the town with trees and more planting."

Historical and industrial buildings on the site will be adapted, with the addition of contemporary elements.

Miss Jones said: "We have no details of the materials yet, they are being worked on, but we will introduce more glass and timber in the Island area particularly.

"We needed to have more contemporary architecture, it was dictated by the Commission for Architecture in the Built Environment, and they said we also had to have a higher density.

"We can't just copy what is there, we have to do something a bit different. This is unique, we haven't built anything like it."

An area of 4,300 sq metres will be set-aside for leisure, heritage, retail, catering and employment uses.

The design includes Lamb Yard but it is not yet known what will happen to the Lamb Building in the centre of town. It has been proposed to add another, more modern layer on top of it.

Miss Jones said: "Everybody hates the building at present and that would make it more interesting."

The bottom of an existing building in the New Mills area will be used for shops, with homes above.

Miss Jones said: "We want the area to have vibrancy, and the housing will make sure it is not a dead space at night."

Buildings along Kingston Road will be used by businesses and there is the possibility of a facility like a gym. It is proposed to turn Kingston House, a listed building, into offices and not houses.