Plans to convert the vacant listed buildings at the former Wadworth brewery site in Devizes have been given the go ahead, with full planning and listed building consent granted by Wiltshire Council.
Submitted by our team on behalf of Trevor Osborne Ltd, the proposals include the sensitive conversion of the former Wadworth brewery building, the former White Lion pub and grade II listed buildings on the site to create 22 new homes and commercial space. Plans also include the creation of a new two-storey mixed-use building, with associated car parking, landscaping and public realm enhancements.
The redevelopment of these listed elements is part of a wider strategy for the brewery site, which will breathe new life into this area of the town. Separate proposals by developer Backhouse to create new homes and commercial space on the northern section of the site were recently approved, while the derelict Grade II* listed Assize Court on the west of the site is becoming a new home for the Wiltshire Museum. Together, the three projects will create an active new cultural quarter for the town with the regenerated heritage buildings at its heart.
This planning consent focuses on the listed building assets which represent the core of the original Victorian brewery. The proposals aim to bring back into active use the vacant historic buildings whilst creating a vibrant public realm and commercial courtyard at the heart of the scheme.
Designs for this part of the site include:
- 22 new one-, two- and three-bed apartments and commercial space which are sympathetic to the character and historic nature of the existing buildings.
- Conversion of the former White Lion pub into a single 4-bed house, along with a new build apartment over commercial space in the centre of the new brewery yard public realm.
- New ground-floor commercial space surrounding the brewery yard, with a new link light well providing access into the existing building basement vaults. This will further extend the commercial space and add variety for visitors to the yard.
- Connecting the three schemes to open up and encourage pedestrian access across the new quarter and to the canal waterway corridor.
- The sensitive conversion of the important Grade II listed main brewery building, which will open up views and uses of historically important elements of the building.
In the past, the brewery’s industrial operations cut this part of the town off from the rest of the area. The careful conversion of the Grade II listed building will open up parts of the site that are currently closed to the public, creating a new ‘brewery courtyard’. By linking this public space with nearby developments, people will be able to walk through the new area and continue on to the canal and its surroundings.
The plans for the listed buildings also include a strategy to retain, reclaim or relocate specific artefacts from the main brewery building such as copper vessels, tanks, engines, machines and brewery equipment. Some will be relocated to the new micro-brewery while others will be reclaimed for use in the internal designs.
Our design and planning teams at Nash Partnership worked together with Wiltshire Council and local stakeholders to develop plans for the scheme, with feedback from engagement meetings influencing the final designs. The planning application also considered a range of national and local plans and policies including the Wiltshire Core Strategy, the Devizes Area Neighbourhood Plan, Local Transport Plan, and emerging policies. It also included input from consultants including highways, M&E, sustainability, structures, drainage, ecology, contamination, and historic building experts, with the consultant team led by us.
Situated in the Devizes Conservation Area, the former Wadworth brewery site on Northgate Street has been key to the town’s development over many decades. In 2023, the brewery relocated to a small, more modern facility on the outskirts of the town to help it diversify and operate efficiently, and Wadworth remains a large employer in Devizes. But since then, the Northgate Street site has been vacant, representing a significant regeneration opportunity for this area of Devizes.
Commenting on the approval, Partner Robert Locke from Nash Partnership said: “This complex but fascinating project has presented many opportunities as well as challenges. With a strong vision for this part of the site, our client can now go ahead with the conversion of these important historic assets. With the planning and listed building consent now secured, we’re looking forward to continuing to play a part in this exciting new chapter of the town’s history.”