No. 2 High Street

The Marlborough District Council Community and Financial Planning Committee has come out in favour of retaining the Council-owned land at Number 2 High Street to develop as a green space rather than give the go-ahead to a Speight’s Ale House on the site.

A majority of the Council committee supported the option which must now go to the next full meeting of the Council, later this month.

Various councillors indicated that, since they had now studied in more detail the Council’s Urban Design Strategy which proposed public green space linking the High Street site to the river, they did not think the Alehouse proposal was right for the location at this time.
Councillors noted that the green space was part of a Design Strategy that had been the subject of public consultation and formal approval and that further consultation would be needed if there was a wish to move away from its concepts.

Councillors suggested it was time “to take a breath and explore the options further” including the possibility of shutting 12th Lane and realigning the boundary of the site beforefuture development.

Councillors who advocated more time be given to considering the future of the site noted that they had only one chance to get the decision right as there would be a long-term lease that would be in place, “possibly for the next two or three generations”.

Mayor Alistair Sowman said later that it was important that the business sector in Marlborough and beyond understood that the majority of councillors were not opposed to the Lion Nathan proposal but that they could not advance a plan that was not sufficiently compatible with the existing Council Design Strategy.

“Blenheim is very much open for new developments and there are a number of privately-owned sites available to developers. I hope that Lion Nathan will consider the other options open to it in Marlborough,” he said.