Betting shop plans revealed (From Wiltshire Times)

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Betting shop plans revealed

4:30pm Wednesday 24th September 2008

comment Comments (26) Have your say »

By Katie Adams »

A FORMER sports shop in Melksham which closed last year could become a betting shop if a planning application is approved.

A bid to convert the former Aqualeisure premises in Market Place has been submitted by Andrew Croft of Backhouse Bet.

Mr Croft, of Bradford on Avon, did not want to comment on the plans this week, but said he hoped in future it could bring new jobs to the area.

He added that the plans were in the early stages.

Aqualeisure Ltd went into administration and closed last September.

Owner Michael Zaccheo decided to cease trading and appointed Stone Business Recovery Ltd in Bristol to deal with the administration.

A total of five workers were made redundant, four of them full time, and the building was returned to landlords Morgan & Morgan.

The diving centre based at Aqualeisure continued under the name The Dive Zone and moved to Avonside Enterprise Park.

The planning application for the Aqualeisure building will be decided by West Wiltshire District Council.

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Daryl, melksham says...
6:55am Thu 25 Sep 08

What a fantastic idea.....betting shop in one of the prime shop fronts in the market square....ya couldn't make it up!!!!

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isthatyou, Melksham says...
7:45am Thu 25 Sep 08

Oh for goodness sake, Melksham needs a betting shop at that location like I need a hole in my head. Daryl is so right,the Market Place is supposed to be soon undergoing a much needed up-grading, PLEASE let us have something that will bring a bit of class to the area. Probably too much to ask.

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Clicker, Wiltshire says...
9:27am Thu 25 Sep 08

How about a shop that we actually need ? Like a cycle shop or a motor accessory shop or a hardware shop? I'm sure there are more... any suggestions?

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norville, westwilts says...
10:07am Thu 25 Sep 08

Class and Melksham?
Just doesn't sound right does it?

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Sazzer, Trowbridge says...
11:27am Thu 25 Sep 08

I would have thought a nice restaurant/bar would be perfect here, but given the amount of fights that break out in this area it probably wouldnt make good viewing.

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fairy86, Trowbridge says...
1:13pm Thu 25 Sep 08

Like clicker said it would make a great bike shop! motor or pedal!! and there is a gap in the market for one at the moment!

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Monkey Man, Melksham says...
2:33pm Thu 25 Sep 08

Takeaways, Hairdressers and now another betting shop, all we need now is a "massage parlour" for the clean sweep. Knowing the people in charge of this town it will get the go ahead no doubt.

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old jarge, wiltshire says...
4:09pm Thu 25 Sep 08

Clicker wrote:
How about a shop that we actually need ? Like a cycle shop or a motor accessory shop or a hardware shop? I'm sure there are more... any suggestions?

It WAS a garage some while back - Stringers, if I remember correctly.

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isthatyou, Melksham says...
4:26pm Thu 25 Sep 08

Just thought. Perhaps a betting shop is the right thing. After all, Melksham has been going to the dogs for years. When are the pin-heads on the council going to do something to stop the rot??? They seem to be too busy writing missives in the local free paper every week spouting about plastic bags and the like. Can't wait for the next local elections to get these wasters out.

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rabuf, Wiltshire says...
5:09pm Thu 25 Sep 08

Even though the owners have done a fantastic job on the renovation, I would still like to see them go the extra mile and restore the front of the building to its original former glory rather than have that glass carbuncle on the front.

I dont think planners would allow anyone to deface such a beautiful building like that anymore.

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isthatyou, Melksham says...
6:04pm Thu 25 Sep 08

rabuf,

Couldn't agree more.

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mark_wilts, Melksham says...
7:45pm Fri 26 Sep 08

How about paying the local toerags who cause a nuscience in the bus stop to kick the glass in?

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Whiteraven, Wiltshire says...
12:11pm today Sat 27 Sep 08

Rabuf - I agree. Looks like there might be another lost opportunity coming Melksham's way.

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JoeKing, B-On-A says...
8:16pm Sat 27 Sep 08

Supply and demand, nobody would support a bike shop !! Hardware? With Leekes down the road & at least half a dozen sheds within driving distance !
But plenty of mugs empty their wallets in a bookies !!

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Hash, Melksham says...
9:51am Sun 28 Sep 08

Theres a cycle shop already or is melksham cycle centre rubbish?

Regardless of the business that goes there as long as its not left empty the council will accept most applications-It'll creat jobs pfff! like 5 tops! what tripe

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Daryl, melksham says...
9:57am Sun 28 Sep 08

Perhaps Melksham's bright and enthusiastic councillors could give permission for another seedy 'amusement' arcade, complete with a big smelly guy or gal sitting in a perspex booth stealing sad peoples money/benefits!.....
.OR THEY COULD ALL RESIGN FROM THE COUNCIL....hold FAIR ELECTIONS.....and let some young blood have ago!

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gskyrme, London says...
4:50pm Mon 29 Sep 08

Sounds like an ideal place to spend your giros.

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meg, melksham says...
6:11pm Mon 29 Sep 08

Daryl
Why don't you stand for the council? - anyone could have stood last time.

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Daryl, melksham says...
9:04am Tue 30 Sep 08

Daryl
Why don't you stand for the council? - anyone could have stood last time.

I have a family to support.....a councillor SHOULD be a full time job to be done properly.....not an easy way to rip off the taxpayer with ridiculous expense claims for headed note paper and visits to some 'twinned' hell hole in Eastern Europe!!....and I would probably break 'protocol' by trying to expose the corruption that is endemic in local and national politics!!....hope that answers the question Meg X

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meg, melksham says...
5:36pm Tue 30 Sep 08

Daryl Town Councillors do not get a penny - if it was a full time job and paid, just think what our rates would be. Any corruption should be reported to the Standards Board.

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Daryl, melksham says...
8:59am Wed 1 Oct 08

Daryl Town Councillors do not get a penny

.....and Gordon Brown is a comedian!....A few full time, dedicated local representatives would be far more economical than a large bunch of self promoting/important hand wringers! National and local politics needs fundamental change...Council tax should be abolished in favour of earning related tax .... and as for corruption....me thinks"Thou does't protest too much...oh Noble one!!"....

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Whiteraven, Wiltshire says...
12:48pm Sat 4 Oct 08

Daryl are you suggesting that Councillors should be full time paid representatives? Or that only the rich should be Councillors? Don't we have enough to put up with, with the paid bureaucrats that work for council departments already?

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Daryl, melksham says...
7:05pm Sat 4 Oct 08

Daryl are you suggesting that Councillors should be full time paid representatives?

Yes.....

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Whiteraven, Wiltshire says...
1:21pm Sun 5 Oct 08

So how does that differ from the people we already pay at the councils and the civil servants in Whitehall then? Who will pay them? The Treasury? Who would decide the job description and who would be responsible for the contract of employment, who would line manage them? etc. etc. etc.

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Whiteraven, Wiltshire says...
1:24pm Sun 5 Oct 08

Oh! I forgot who would they be accountable to their employer - ie. the one who pays the wage, formulates and supervises the job etc. I can't see how this would work and they would still be elected representatives in a democracy. We have enough trouble with the paid politicians we already have and the huge sums of money they cost us without adding more at a local level!

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Daryl, melksham says...
1:52pm Sun 5 Oct 08

We have enough trouble with the paid politicians we already have and the huge sums of money they cost us without adding more at a local level!

Totally agree.....That is why I stated earlier that FUNDAMENTAL change is needed, both nationally and locally........unfor
tunately I don't have the skills to carry out these changes, but I am sure someone has!....but before that can be instigated.....the 'ILLUMINATI' has to be dismantled!!!

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