Friday 15th November 2013
Wiltshire Council have refused planning permission for the demolition of a garage and a shed at 32 Copheap Lane, Warminster, which would have made access for the construction of a terrace of three houses at the rear of the property.
Wednesday 13th November 2013
The scrapmetal yard of E.J. Shanley, off Copheap Lane, Warminster, seen from the pedestrian footbridge at Warminster Railway Station. The photograph was taken by Danny Howell on Wednesday 13th November 2013.
Monday 30th September 2013
At a meeting of the Planning Advisory Committee of Warminster Town Council, held at the Civic Centre, Warminster, on Monday 30th September 2013, Councillors Jamie Cullen, Andrew Davis, Nick Dombkowski, Sue Fraser, and Rob Fryer, voted unanimously in favour of a planning application to demolish an existing garage and shed to facilitate access and the erection of one terrace of three dwellings, on land at the rear of 32 Copheap Lane, Warminster, BA12 0BG.
Councillors recognised that the application referred to land behind 32 Copheap Lane (a bungalow) and the neighbouring Dolls House shop. Recent concerns about speeding traffic on Copheap Lane were quickly expressed. Councillor Fraser said “There was an accident on the road there recently. Issues are being raised about speeding at Copheap Lane.”
Town Clerk Heather Abernethie said “There is a need for a zebra crossing at Copheap Lane but there is no suitable site to place one.”
Councillor Davis referring to the plans for the application said “Demolition of the garage and shed gives new access to No.32, while what was the entrance to No.32 then becomes the access to the proposed dwellings. That’s what they’re doing.”
Councillor Davis went on to say “I don’t think I like it but I can’t think of a planning reason to refuse it.”
Councillors agreed all new properties come with parking. Councillor Fraser said “It’s not the houses that are the problem, but the access in and out, on to Copheap Lane, is the thing.” Councillor Cullen said “Three houses means six cars.” Councillor Davis said “Yes, the properties have car parking. The only thing against this is highways. There’s a drive there at the moment but it’s probably only being used by one car, not six.”
Concerns about the access to a highway where cars speed along continued to be debated for some minutes. Councillor Fryer stated “I was overtaken by a car at the roundabout at Copheap Lane. The car went the wrong side of the roundabout to overtake me.” Councillor Fraser said “Cars do go so very fast there.”
Councillor Fryer proposed in favour of the application. Councillor Fraser seconded. [13/03702/FUL]
32 Copheap Lane, Warminster.
Photographs by Danny Howell.
Planning permission is sought for
the demolition of the garage adjacent
32 Copheap Lane . . .Â
. . . and the shed behind the garage.
The land behind 32 Copheap Lane, Warminster.
Planning permission is sought for a terrace
of three dwellings here.
Photograph by Danny Howell.
The land behind the Dolls House shop
at Copheap Lane, Warminster.
Photographs by Danny Howell.
Councillors are concerned about cars from
three new dwellings built behind No.32
having to come out on to Copheap Lane
at the location pictured above.
Councillors are aware that many motorists
drive their cars at considerable speeds
along Copheap Lane, and the access for
the proposed three dwellings is near a bend
on the brow of Copheap Lane,
not far from which was an accident recently.
The cars in this photograph, taken by Danny Howell,
were travelling under the 30 mph speed limit.
Advert, Tuesday 22 March 2011
Scrap Metal Wanted.
Top rates for all scrap metal and cars.
Container service and prompt collections.
Skip Hire.
4 to 40 yard bins for all your needs.
Household, builders, commercial waste and garden waste.
Prompt delivery and collection.
Part worn tyres and car spares for sale.
43 Copheap Lane, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 0BQ.
Telephone: 01985 213348 or 01985 213090.
Mobile: 07973 835651.
From the leaflet Warminster Christmas Gift Ideas 2009, produced by the Economy And Tourism Group of the Warminster And Villages Community Partnership, September 2009:
Margaret’s Miniatures, 31 Copheap Lane, Warminster.
Dolls’ houses, both in kit form and built, and all items to furnish them.
01985 846797.
Monday 3rd May 2004
Four naked men were seen making their way along Copheap Lane, Warminster, at 1.15 a.m. this morning (Monday 3rd May 2004). An elderly lady who saw them said they made for a funny sight. Was she offended? “No,” she said, “It was a privilege to see them. I thought it was wonderful.”
A view north-east from the Portway end of the
up-line platform of Warminster Railway Station,
looking across the tracks to the scrapyard of
E.S. Shanley & Son.
The large buildings in background are those of
the Copheap Lane Industrial Estate.
The photograph was taken by Danny Howell
on Monday 25th March 1991.
Friday 27th October 1989
“Former commercial sites in Warminster awaiting change include Geest . . . which now looks as though it will become a residential area.” *
~ stated by Danny Howell in a lecture “Changing Faces Of Warminster” which he gave at the Athenaeum, Warminster, during October 1989.
* Hillbourne Close.
At the November 1984 meeting of Boreham Women’s Institute, Mr. David Dodge and Mr. Martin Randall from Geest Industries (Copheap Lane, Warminster) gave a very interesting talk and showed a film about the production of bananas. They stated that all the bananas sold by Geest came from the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. The fruit was picked green and kept at a temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit in refrigerated ships for the 12 day journey to this country. When the bananas arrived at the ripening rooms the temperature was gradually raised, which turned them yellow. This took about six days; they were then all weighed, priced and sent to the shops.
Wilfred Middlebrook, in his newspaper serialisation The Changing Face Of Warminster, published in 1971, noted:
Industry returned to Copheap Lane [Warminster] again in 1958 with the erection of a “banana factory,” – Geest Industries Ltd. Since that time the fruit processing and packing factory has been enlarged to eight mammoth bays, complete with special railway sidings to deal with banana trains direct from Barry Docks.
