Burnham-On-Sea’s former NatWest bank building will be turned into six new flats and a shop after the district council this week gave final approval to the scheme.
NatWest shut down its Burnham-On-Sea branch in October 2017. The property at the junction of Regent Street and Victoria Street was then sold at an auction in June 2021.
Now, the new owner has submitted a planning application for a change of use and conversion of the first and second floors to create six residential apartments and a new shop front on the ground floor.
The proposals were considered by Sedgemoor District Council, which has now approved the plans after earlier support from Burnham and Highbridge town councillors in January.
Several local residents have expressed concern about a lack of parking facilities in the area due to the growing number of flats in the town centre.
Town councillor Barbara Vickers said of the plan for the building: “It looks very good to me. The front of the building is being kept the same because it’s in a Conservation Area. The tidying up at the back of the building will stop fly-tipping and parking. The roof will also be sorted out and they will also put in new windows where they are being ripped out at the back.”
“The apartments will be a mix of one and two bed apartments with the ground floor being used for a shop. I think they have done it all quite tastefully, so I would support it.”
Cllr Julie Flurry added: “It’s nice to see the building being tidied up. I would also support it.”
The building’s owner says in their planning application: “Our proposals respect the front two facades of the three-storey building. We will maintain the original sash windows to these two elevations. We will remove the rear galvanised fire escape. We will replace the rear windows in timber but keep the same form/style as the original.”
“Raising the single storey roof will not harm the three-storey element, it will be set back from the front and behind the parapet wall, the existing parapet wall will not be removed.”
“The new shop front will be set between the two existing ground floor windows. The Bath Stone detailing will be continued from the ground up on both sides of the new shop front.”
“Security bars, and replacement windows to the rear brick area, and the removal of the fire escape will enhance the three-storey element to be more in line to its original built form. The apartments fill a need for accommodation within the town centre.
Barclays Bank also closed its Burnham-On-Sea branch in 2018 and the nearby property has since been turned into Burnham’s Domino’s pizza store, creating over 40 jobs in 2021.
HSBC also shut its branch in Burnham-On-Sea’s College Street during 2017 as part of a nationwide cost-cutting move and that property is due to be redeveloped.
