No Decision Yet On Number 2 High Street

The Marlborough District Council has decided to look further at the future of the site at Number 2 High Street overlooking the Taylor River with councillors determined that any decision needs to meet the principles of their town planning strategy.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says while the Council has agreed to keep negotiating with Lion Nathan which has indicated an interest in setting up a Speight’s Ale House on the site, councillors are adamant they want to see good public green space preserved between the site and the river.

Given the size of the site, it may not be possible to deliver the gently graduated levels exactly as depicted in the concept sketches of the Urban Design Strategy but councillors do want to preserve the spirit of the design by having green public space along the river frontage, said Mr Sowman.

He said councillors would have to be satisfied that any decision they made would provide the ‘visual amenity’ value that the public was expecting.

Mr Sowman said the Council made a commercial decision to buy the commercially-zoned site after the town urban design plan was completed in order to ensure the best use was made of the site and, when expressions of interest were sought through public advertising, Lion Nathan was the only proposal to come forward.

But the initial sketch plans of the area surrounding the Alehouse did not satisfy all councillors he said.

Council yesterday agreed to keep talking to Lion Nathan but they were also very clear that only a proposal that delivers on the requirements of the Urban Design strategy would be approved, he said.