Builder bucks for bandstand in Wiltshire

Wessex has donated £2,000 to the Town Council for the renovation of a bandstand.

Persimmon Homes Wessex handed over the cheque to Mayor Stephen Cooper, Deputy Mayor and Wiltshire Councillor Stewart Palmen, and Town Council officers after they were successful in applying for funding from our Community Champions scheme.

The Town Council is currently raising funds to restore the town’s historic bandstand for the benefit of the whole community, with Persimmon’s donation going towards the visible decorative elements of the refurbishment, including repainting the bandstand and refreshing the dressing rooms.

Located in the heart of the town park, the bandstand has long been a cherished local landmark. The Town Council aim to bring it back to life so it can once again host performances, community events, and moments of shared pride, in the hope of opening it for use once more by this summer.

Persimmon’s Community Champions programme sees £700,000 spent on good causes and much-valued organisations across Britain each year. Recent local recipients include Trowbridge RFC, Chippenham Team Takeover, Doorway Homeless Charity, and Malmesbury Town Carnival.

Wessex recently secured outline planning consent to bring up to 2,500 new homes to Ashton Park to the south of Trowbridge, alongside Barratt Redrow. Its first detailed reserved matters application is currently being considered by Wiltshire Council.

The plans also include capital contributions of £25.6m from developers, and a Community Infrastructure Levy contribution of £7.5m for local projects. They will also deliver a £36.5m relief road, including a new section for the A350, notably bypassing the existing West Ashton traffic-signal controlled crossroads.

The development’s long-term vision to create a thriving community is evident in the commitment to provide new schools, dedicated early years facilities, local centres, an ecology visitor centre, and 13.6ha of employment land to ensure benefits for the town and county.

£5.4m will also be ringfenced for the Council to provide off-site affordable housing, in addition to the 27% of on-site homes reserved for local housing association partners.

Commenting, Persimmon Homes Wessex Sales Director Pauline Fletcher said:

“Persimmon is going to have a significant footprint in Trowbridge for many years to come – not only as part of our current Hilperton site nearby but – due to our forthcoming major development in Ashton Park.

“So it is only right that we do our part in sustaining and supporting the things that make Trowbridge a great and attractive place to live – which is why we are helping the Town Council with restoring the bandstand to its former glory for the benefit of current and future residents.”

Stephen Cooper, Mayor of Trowbridge, added:

“We were delighted to hear that Persimmon had chosen to award our Community Champions application and their general commitment to on-going support for Trowbridge’s institutions.

“The bandstand is a mainstay of the town but one that could do with a makeover and we are actively seeking funds from individuals and organisations who could help us achieve that.”