• Bristol & Bath Economy
• Wednesday July 1 2026

£700,000 scheme to boost market towns launched

A £700,000 plan to drive economic growth in Wiltshire has been agreed by Wiltshire Council leaders.

At a meeting of the council’s Liberal Democrat-led Cabinet last week, members voted in favour of the package, which includes a £250,000 small grants programme to fill empty shops, and a £50,000 Invest in Wiltshire programme.

Over the past four years, the Wiltshire Towns Programme has supported several popular events, including the Taste of Salisbury Food Festival, Bradford on Avon’s Pancake and Duck Race Days, Calne markets, Pewsey’s community and festive events, Corsham’s Public Art Trail and Chippenham’s pop-up park – all in a bid to increase footfall, and at a total cost of £1.45 million.

However, the programme seems to be paying dividends. The meeting heard that retail remains one of the top three employment sectors in Wiltshire, supporting around 29,000 jobs.

And despite changing consumer behaviour, the growth of online retail, the legacy of Covid-19, and wider economic pressures such as business rates and rental
increases that have placed sustained strain on town centre vitality, footfall continues to grow.

Footfall data from January to April 2026 showed a strong start to the year, with many Wiltshire towns outperforming both the South West and UK averages.

Westbury, Melksham, Trowbridge (pictured) and Salisbury all posted notable year-on-year gains, while towns such as Marlborough, Devizes, Downton and Calne saw
exceptional month-on-month increases, reflecting strong post-Christmas footfall.

In Calne, footfall was up 3.3 per cent. In Melksham, it increased by 3.3 per cent. And in Westbury, there were 3.5 per cent more people in the town centre this year than last.

Cllr Helen Belcher, cabinet member for economic development, said towns were being encouraged to play to their strengths, identifying and promoting their USP.

“The challenge for towns is to identify what makes them a destination,” she said. “Some will become hospitality destinations, some will be shopping experiences with boutiques, and others will be tourism experiences.”

The meeting heard that a Vibrant Wiltshire Vacant Unit Grant scheme had brought over 20 empty premises back into productive use, leveraging nearly £1.4 million of combined public and private investment and supporting a mix of retail, leisure, health, and community uses.

The delivery plan also includes:

• £70,000 funding for the Wiltshire Marque to give further support to the food and drink sector in Wiltshire
• £80,000 for upgrades to town centre workspaces
• £200,000 for support for the tourism economy through Visit Wiltshire
• £50,000 for Invest In Wiltshire to attract further investment into the county

The Wiltshire Marque was launched in mid‑October 2024 as a new county‑wide food and drink accreditation scheme, created to promote Wiltshire‑made produce, support local producers and high streets, and encourage residents to buy local. It has been a success story, increasing its membership from 30 businesses at launch to 75 today.

Meanwhile, an inward investment platform is a gap that needs filling since the Swindon & Wiltshire Local Economic Partnership was closed in 2024, following a decision by Conservative chancellor Jeremy Hunt in 2023’s spring budget.

Businesses looking for advice on setting up in, or moving to, Wiltshire are directed to the SWLEP website, which is still live and features advice on trading post-Brexit and business recovery from Covid.

Cllr Belcher admitted that the new platform would probably be a website, signposting visitors to the council’s economic development team.