Last November a proposal was launched to convert the upper floors of The Bear Hotel, which has stood in Chippenham Market Place since the 18th century, into apartments. The initial design for this “contemporary” office space sparked some concerns from Chippenham Town Council, which labelled it “heavy and dominant”. READ MORE: The Bear Hotel transformation plans in Chippenham debatedThe proposed extension (Image: Armstrong Architecture)Armstrong Architecture, the agent working on behalf of applicant London & Wiltshire Ltd, has since lodged revised designs for this extension. At a town council planning meeting, councillors did not object to the revised plans and praised the scheme for bringing the building back into use. While the ground floor is currently a tapas bar, that would be unaffected by the redevelopment, the upper floors have been vacant since the hotel closed several years ago.
