Weston councillor Colin Barrett has welcomed a decision by B&NES Council to refuse planning permission for the village’s former public toilets to be converted into a three-storey apartment block.
The toilets in Weston closed in 2014 | © Google
The Conservative councillor had collected over two hundred signatures for a petition against the proposals, which had been gathering names on the High Street and been presented to the Council’s planning department.
Alongside local residents, Cllr Barrett had argued that the proposed new building would represent an over-development of the site and that the lack of parking provision would exacerbate existing parking problems on the High Street.
Councillor Colin Barrett (Cons, Weston) said: “I’m very pleased that the Council’s planners have decided not to grant permission for this development.
“The three-story apartment block would have been inappropriate for the site and out of keeping with the area, while the lack of parking would have exacerbated existing problems on nearby streets.
“With these plans refused, our hope is that the owner will take this opportunity to work with local residents and traders to come up with a solution that benefits the local community.
“We of course recognise that any scheme needs to be financially viable, but I believe there could options that would better serve the High Street than just apartments, and I would be keen to discuss these with the owner together with others who may have ideas for the site.”
The public toilet block was closed after funding was withdrawn in 2014.
With the support of local councillors and High Street traders, attempts were made to secure an alternative operator for the toilet, however a long-term solution could not be found and the toilet block was sold at auction last year.
