Trowbridge has a plan. A plan to improve. But for those who call the county town home, there’s much to be done.

Darren Holloway, 51, has lived in Trowbridge on and off for 20 years. He talks of seeing many shops and banks closing in recent years.

Castle Place, a shopping centre built in the 1970s, used to be “heaving” but now lies “empty”, he explains, with the old Wilko store among those now boarded up.

Elsewhere in the town, Monsoon on Fore Street, which closed about five years ago, was boarded up earlier this year following incidents of antisocial behaviour.

Stephen Aslett, 62, has lived in Trowbridge since he was a baby and has seen the town change a lot over the years. He tells the Express it has changed “slightly for the better [recently] but only, very slightly.”

Pointing around the town centre at long-since-vanished institutions, he reminisces: “That used to be a pub called The George Hotel… and over there was a sweet shop called Chocolate Box. That used to be a cinema.” Familiar names like Curry’s and Woolworths also now only exist in locals’ memories.

Mr Aslett adds: “A lot of shops are closing, but that’s down to rent, prices, costs.”

Antisocial behaviour has calmed he says thanks to improved police intervention but safety concerns remain.

When asked what his favourite thing about Trowbridge is, he admits almost with a sigh: “To be honest, I haven’t really got a favourite thing about Trowbridge at the moment. I don’t go out at night because I don’t feel it’s safe. Even the Chief Inspector said there’s a lot more that needs to be done to make it safe.”

Groups of youths whizzing around town on scooters leave older residents feeling uneasy, he adds, and he advises taking caution with your belongings when walking around the town centre.

Plans are being disccussed to demolish Castle Place shopping centre, which also used to have 32 market stalls, and a multi-storey car park to build new homes and leisure facilities, with the council recently transferring the freehold to West Yorkshire property developer Tahir Ali.

Unimpressed with the idea, Mr Aslett says: “That’s what a lot of the residents in the town are up in arms about.”

But there is hope that things are getting better. And can get better still.

After two years of restoration and £9 million of cash, Trowbridge’s historic town hall has reopened, breathing new life into the town at a time when regeneration feels increasingly needed.

Trowbridge has roots in England’s once-flourishing textile industry, its identity shaped by the woollen mills that powered its growth for centuries.

That heritage now has a renewed sense of purpose in the Town Hall, renamed The Old Town Hall, which has been restored to its former Victorian grandeur while embracing a modern role at the heart of community life.

With a bustling café, a free gallery, and revitalised community spaces, the reopening marks not just the return of a landmark, but a moment of possibility for Trowbridge itself.

The refurbishment forms part of a £16 million Future High Streets Fund investment aimed at revitalising Trowbridge’s high street.

When the Town Hall first opened, it housed a library, courtrooms, holding cells and a beautiful, grand ballroom. Now, the building has been reimagined as a lively community space dedicated to music and the arts, and run by the independent charity The Trowbridge Town Hall Trust.

The historic courtroom, which was previously the building’s only performance space, has been preserved, including the judge’s bar and even the original seating. Even in the basement, where seven modern recording studios now sit, several of the old prison cells remain as a reminder of its past. The café and gallery now buzz with activity.

Antonia Cook, a marketing and communications assistant at The Trowbridge Town Hall Trust, tells the Express: “It’s a lovely building. It was built in the 1880s as a place for the community of Trowbridge.

“You do see a lot of shops closed down [in the town] which is really sad. But it’s so nice that we’ve opened – it’s actually something opening in town.

“That’s why people are so excited about it. It’s something new, and you don’t get a lot of that in Trowbridge at the moment, and I don’t think it’s just Trowbridge. It’s a nationwide thing, really.”

Ms Cook admits it took her some time to appreciate the town’s virtues.

She explains: “When you speak to young people, they always say, ‘oh, there’s nothing in Trowbridge for me. I can’t wait to move out’. I grew up in Trowbridge, and as a teenager I also thought there was nothing here for me, and I couldn’t wait to move out. But there’s actually so much here, and it’s really important to us that we make sure that the youth of Trowbridge feel like they have a place in the town, they feel like they can come here.

“[This] building was put here for the people of Trowbridge, and that’s exactly how we’re going to use it.”

And the Town Hall isn’t the only positive. The Weavers Market is a local favourite, attracting crowds looking to snap up homemade goods or sample local entertainment.

Part of the £16m investment has also been used to install new street furniture in the town centre, although opinions seem mixed on how well spend the money was.

Wiltshire Council spent £55,000 on these additions, with new benches attracting particular attention, with some people reportedly mistaking them for overturned bins.

Explaining its vision for the future, a spokesperson for the council says: “The £16 million Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) investment is already transforming Trowbridge town centre. At its heart is the reopening of the historic Grade II listed Old Town Hall following a two-year major refurbishment.

“This iconic building has been transformed into a vibrant hub with creative spaces, a café bar, and performance areas that will boost both daytime and evening activity. The Great Hall fit-out is still underway, but it is on track to host concerts and performances later this year, adding even more to the building’s exciting future.”

The spokesperson adds: “While contemporary designs can sometimes spark mixed reactions, the vibrant bench seats and planters developed with feedback and support from Trowbridge Town Council, complement other recent enhancements such as the colourful bus shelters, and these have received positive feedback for transforming the appearance of the town centre.

“This investment is one of several big investments and development opportunities in and around the town. For many this is leading to a new sense of confidence for the town’s future.”

Work has begun on a new multi-million-pound leisure centre in the heart of the town.

The spokesperson adds: “We are continuing to work with the police and partners to tackle antisocial behaviour, aiming to make the town centre feel safer and more inviting for residents and visitors.”

These days £16m doesn’t seem to go very far. Over the next few years, locals will make up their own minds on whether it’s been enough to breathe new life into a once-thriving county town.