Without a doubt the lovely town centre in Chippenham is long overdue some tender loving care!

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After the pandemic there were an increased number of people coming into the town for recreational reasons because it offered a  great place for the community to get together, to linger, and to belong. This was not just a 'post covid trend' - it is something that continues to this day that will contribute to the way that our town grows into the future.

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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 results showed clearly that people viewed the town centre as existing simply from the 'Bridge to the Bear' and did not realise its full potential that the centre has as an easily navigated, green place with much to offer that stretches from the Causeway all the way through to Hathaway Park.

 

Since then there have been vacancy surveys every three months conducted by community members that have shown both above national average occupancy rates and dispelled the myth that Chippenham is deficit in Independent Shops....it actually has them in abundance, but this fact has not been promote until now!

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The results of those surveys were both interesting and gave the Town Team something to build on and during the past year four active Quarters have been established that are each led and populated by members of the community in that area.