A new development of 29 new flats will be built next to a Highbridge roundabout, district councillors have decided this week.
The Canal House site next to the Highbridge town clock roundabout has been vacant for more than 15 years.
New Shore Developments secured planning permission in July 2018 to redevelop the vacant brownfield site at 1 Market Street into 29 flats.
The developer put forward amended proposals for the same amount of properties in April 2022.
Sedgemoor District Council’s Development Committee has this week given its backing to the amended plans.
The land was previously home to a number of homes and shops which were demolished after the buildings became “structurally unsafe”.
Like the original scheme, the new plans will deliver a mixture of one- and two-bedroom flats, with a total of 31 subterranean car parking spaces and 32 cycling spaces.
Toni Hammick of Property Link, representing the applicant, said at Tuesday’s committee meeting: “There are been no interest in the site for commercial development.”
“Due to the death of the developer, the residential permission could not be started in time. The site is constrained and the build costs are extremely high. Unless a viable scheme can be delivered, this site will remain for the next decade as an eyesore.”
Cllr Mike Facey added: “I completely welcome this proposed development and may it happen quickly. It currently resembles a bomb site – can we get this built immediately? I think it’s a first class development, and the design is going to enhance Highbridge big time.”
After consideration of the proposals, the committee unanimously voted to approve the planning application. Building work is expected to begin later in 2023.
Town councillors have previously called for a clean-up of the vandalised ‘eyesore’ hoardings at the Canal House site.
Local property agent Toni Hammock discussed the plans for the site with town councillors in 2018 , as we reported here, and said at the time: “This site has been a thorn in Highbridge’s side for a long time.”
While permission was initially granted in 2010 for a mixed-use development of 14 flats and several shops, she said that scheme was “commercially unworkable as there wasn’t the footfall.”
Pictured: Top: how the new development will look; Centre – How it currently looks; Above – how it used to look
