Without a doubt the lovely town centre in Chippenham has been overdue some tender loving care, but the good news is that it is now about to grow and change and investment is coming in for many of the areas. 

 

With an eye to this it is the job of the community to ensure that the growth is to suitable for the future generations who will live and work both in the town centre and within the expansion of development that is encircling Chippenham - bringing with it so many new ideas and many exciting prospects.

​

Following the pandemic a Town Team was established to fill the gap that the defunct BID had left and with the Chamber of Commerce inactive.  At that time there was an increased number of people coming into the town for recreational reasons because it was here that offered a  great place for the community to get together, to linger, and to belong.

 

This turned out not to be just a 'post covid trend' but something that continues to this day, and this is one of the factors that will continue to contribute to the way that Chippenham town centre grows into the future.

​

At the end of 2021 the Town Team conducted their first community survey to see how the community viewed this beating heart of Chippenham, and the results showed clearly that people viewed the town centre as existing simply from the 'Bridge to the Bear'.  They did not realise the full potential that the wider centre had as an easily navigated, green place, populated by many diverse independent shops with much to offer, which stretches from the Causeway all the way through to Hathaway Park.

 

Since then there have been regular vacancy surveys conducted every three months that have demonstrated that not only does Chippenham enjoy above national average occupancy rates but also that it does, indeed, have a high percentage of Independent traders.

 

Historically this definition of the 'high street' town centre has always failed to maximise the potential of these traders and the results of those surveys have given the Town Team something to build on.

 

The town now has four active town centre Quarters (see below) that are led and populated by members of the community which are able to promote their neighbourhood needs to the statutory authorities right up to ear of the new MP for the area who is a spokesperson for her party on Business. ​​​​​

​