A building with two new flats could be built on the site of Highbridge’s former Gospel Tabernacle Church if proposals win the go-ahead from Somerset Council.
The church was knocked down in 2016 after it fell into a state of disrepair, despite opposition from town councillors and community members, as reported here at the time.
Former Highbridge councillor John Parkes said the church was a “rich cultural hotspot for Highbridge” and a “beloved building”.
Town councillors also raised concerns about a lack of future plans for the site at a planning committee meeting before the demolition work was carried out.
A planning application has now been submitted by Burnham Waste Ltd with plans to construct two residential flats at the site.
The two-storey building would also include off-street parking for up to four vehicles and a separate storage area.
The applicant’s design and access statement says: “The building had not been used in over 10 years when permission was granted in 2016 to demolish after the building became unsafe.”
“Newtown Road is adjacent to Ladd Close and Tyler Way – both areas that have seen recent developments. The proposed property would property would provide two two-bedroom flats in line with the national housing standards, with off-street parking for four vehicles and including cycle storage at the rear of the property.”
“The appearance of the building to stay in keeping with the location and with the use of render and some brick. The access to the property would be from Newtown Road. However, two parking spaces would be accessed from King Street.”
The former church was originally built as a Seaman’s Mission before it became the Plymouth Brethren Gospel Hall. It closed in the early 1950s but reopened in 1973 and remained in use until the opening of the Gospel Tabernacle Evangelical Church in 1998.
In 2007, we reported on a petition to try and seek improvements for the derelict church
Somerset Council is inviting feedback on the new application (ref 11/23/00064) until Tuesday 19th September 2023.
