After more than 20 years of planning and consulting the redevelopment of Devizes Wharf is no further ahead.

Monday night’s meeting of Devizes Area Board heard that Wiltshire Council is taking up the baton of the Wharf, which was dropped when Kennet District Council ceased to exist in April last year.

While there was a warm welcome for the rekindling of official interest, there were those present at the meeting who expressed frustration at the long delay.

Local resident Annette Thomas said: “I first came across the Wharf 20 years ago when my daughter had her wedding reception in that lovely building (the Wharf Centre).

“Nothing has been done at the Wharf since then, except that the toilets have been taken away. Surely 20 years down the line we should be further ahead.”

Mike Rodd, general manager of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, said that redevelopment was a matter of great urgency for his organisation. He said: “The building we occupy is not listed and is in serious trouble. We leased it from Kennet District Council and they came to us six years ago and tried to lumber us with a huge rent increase.

“As a result we have no lease and are about to lose our accreditation for our museum.”

Mr Rodd added that they had had to spend £20,000 on the structure of the building after the toilets collapsed through the ceiling at the time of this year’s Devizes to Westminster canoe race.

David Roberts, the head of regeneration at Wiltshire Council, said that the Wharf area, which takes in the car park, the Wharf Theatre and the Wharf Centre, the home of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, was all in the council’s ownership.

But they would need a commercial partner to develop the area, but Mr Roberts made it clear that housing would not be allowed to dominate. He said: “We really see this as a key site, and an area that people really care about.

“Officers are ready to get the process moving forward.”

Peter Lay, chairman of Devizes Development Partnership, said that the council would have an uphill struggle against developers.

He said: “Residential development always generates the highest land values so there will be a lot pressure put on Wiltshire Council.

“But you always have to take a wider view of the economic needs of the town.”