Burnham-On-Sea’s former Job Centre could be transformed into a new town centre convenience store with eight flats above it under new proposals unveiled this week.
A planning application has been submitted to Sedgemoor District Council for the ‘change of use and conversion of the ground floor to retail and the formation of eight residential apartments above’.
The building, situated at the junction of Burnham’s High Street and Regent Street, would be turned into a new convenience store while upstairs, there would be four 1-bedroom flats plus four 2-bedroom flats.
The property has been vacant since the former job centre closed in March 2008. The Department for Work and Pensions vacated it on 31st January 2009 and handed the building over to Telereal Trillium.
The building was set to be redeveloped into a community facility with £1million of funding from the Government’s Coastal Community Fund as part of a regeneration project, however the grant bid was rejected in 2018, as we reported here.
Sedgemoor District Council’s planning department is accepting comments from the public on the plans until September 1st. The application reference number is 11/20/00066.
Burnham and Highbridge Town Council will consider the plans shortly ahead of a final decision by the District Council later in the year.
One nearby resident, who asked not to be named, said: “It would be great to have this empty building occupied at last. Personally, I am concerned about the provision of parking for the eight flats – there are very few on-street spaces available as it is.”
