Archaeological work at Melksham Community Campus site to begin in the new year, as project progress continues

As part of the planning approval for the development of the campus, the council is required to undertake an archaeological survey. These works are due to commence on 4 January 2021.

As part of these works, two large areas will be excavated - a section of the old football pitch and the disused tennis courts to the north. This will likely cause some disruption in and around the site. In addition, the council will be removing the excavated material from the site via the Market Place.

The individual areas will be fenced off and clearly signposted for the safety of the public and any disruption will be kept to a minimum as much as possible.

The works will take approximately a month to complete, subject to any findings.

Access to the site via Place Road will not be possible during these works, but all other access routes will remain unaffected. A small number of parking bays to the north and south of the site will be fenced off to facilitate the works. Following this, the council will then be undertaking works to repair the Grade II listed northern boundary wall and associated pillars.

Both the archaeological and subsequent repair work will pave the way for full construction of the campus to get under way later in the year.

The plans for the modern Melksham Community Campus include a six-lane swimming pool and a learner pool, fitness suite, fitness studio, library, sports hall, community meeting rooms, a café and office space.

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said:

This sort of activity on site is really exciting, as it means construction is getting ever-closer.

We of course apologise to anyone inconvenienced by this work, and the team on the ground will do what they can to minimise that. However, I'm delighted that we're as close as we've ever been to construction and seeing our long-held vision to provide a state-of-the-art facility for the entire community becoming a reality. 2021 is set to be a significant year for the project.

More information can be found on our dedicated Melksham Community Campus page.