One Stop is set to begin work on creating a new convenience store on the ground floor of Burnham-On-Sea’s former job centre.
Proposals to develop Burnham’s former job centre into a new store and eight flats upstairs were initially approved by Sedgemoor District Council in 2020 and we reported last year that One Stop will be opening a new store there.
The building, located at the junction of Burnham’s High Street and Regent Street, will be turned into a One Stop plus four 1-bedroom flats and four 2-bedroom flats.
We reported here that the Town Council’s Planning Applications Committee supported the overall plans on the basis that they would “bring a redundant building back into use, generate new employment, create new accommodation, and tidy up the street scene.”
One Stop has now submited an application for ‘advertisement consent’ to Sedgemoor District Council to seek permission for new signs at the store, which it says will be “sympathetic” to Burnham’s Conservation Area.
One Stop says: “The proposed fascia signage is to be unobtrusively illuminated in a way sympathetic to its surroundings, creating a welcoming open-for-business appearance in keeping with the character of the premises as a shop whilst not impacting on the residential properties in close vicinity. It is designed to be appropriate in size and scale to the fascia above the doors and shopfront.”
“The proposal includes window graphics which are required to obscure views to the back of
counter and cigarette gantry area, as well as the rear of shelving and back of house areas. The proposal accords with planning policy and the aims of the conservation area, it causes no conflict with public safety and will not have a detrimental effect on the visual amenity of the area.”
The application has reference number 11/22/00010 and Sedgemoor’s planning team is inviting feedback as part of its normal consultation process until May 31st, 2022.
The property has been vacant since the former job centre closed in March 2008. The building had been set to be redeveloped into a community facility with £1million of funding from the Government’s Coastal Community Fund, but the grant bid was rejected in 2018.
As part of the application, it was agreed that the delivery loading bays for the new store would be provided in Regent Street next to the property.
Local residents had expressed concern about parking issues in the area around the site, which it was claimed may be further exacerbated by the new One Stop store and flats.
