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As the stone industry reduced, a number of light industrial parks
rose up to provide a diversified employment base for the local population,
and retail facilities grew in the centre of Corsham to cater for
most needs. In recent years, high technology has come to the fore
with developments at Hartham Park, Rudloe Manor and Spring Park
- and Corsham will continue to grow rapidly in the next few years,
especially in the Ministry of Defence and technology sectors. The
MoD’s Basil Hill site has been redeveloped, consolidating
three MoD sites into  one
and freeing up sites for further employment opportunities.
Bath Spa University’s Postgraduate Centre has returned to
Corsham Court, restoring an Arts and Teacher Education facility
to the town - and a university campus - after an absence of 23 years.
With a lease in place until 2068 and plans to develop a progressive
and innovative teaching and research facility, Art and Design activities
in the town can only increase, particularly as the university has
established close ties with both The Pound Arts Centre and The Corsham
School.
Corsham’s population has increased, too, with the development
of 644 new homes at Katherine Park in the south-west. And yet, with
all the developments, the town manages to maintain its rural feel
and, since 2009, has become a true market town again with the reintroduction
of the weekly Tuesday market and the launch of a regular farmers’
market on the third Saturday of the month.
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