Tax office conversion into 22 flats gets the all-clear

7:00am Monday 11th March 2013 in News By Matthew Colledge

Tax office conversion into 22 flats gets the all-clear Tax office conversion into 22 flats gets the all-clear

THE transformation of a 'pivotal' site in Bridgwater into housing has been given the go-ahead.

Sedgemoor District Council planning officer Rebecca Miller gave the nod last week to an application to convert the former tax office, at Westgate House, on the junction of Penel Orlieu and North Street, into 22 flats.

The scheme, by Westgate Properties Bridgwater, includes 19 off-road parking spaces behind the building, and an extension to provide an extra storey on top of the existing flat roof.

HM Revenue and Customs closed the tax office in February 2011 and moved the service to Sedgemoor District Council's offices in King Square.

The Mercury reported how Tamlyns, the agent for the applicants, had described the office as “dilapidated” and “uninspired” and that finding a commercial use for the building was “completely unviable”.

Following Sedgemoor's decision, James Venton, from Tamlyns, said: “There has been a lot of speculation about what might be going to happen with the former tax office, and now it has been confirmed.

“It's obviously a very prominent building, and we sincerely hope that this proposal will refresh and revitalise the building. Obviously the developers are delighted with the outcome and we too are delighted to have been involved with the project so far.”

Bridgwater Town Council said it welcomed the plans to improve a building on what it called a “pivotal” site but said its preference would have been for “demolition and rebuild with a more imaginative scheme”.

Comments(9)

smithy99 says...
7:26am Mon 11 Mar 13

At last the sensible building residential accommodation on empty unsightly shabby ex offices. Instead of eating up large amounts of green fields why can't the council use brown field and derelict sites like this? Walking around Bridgwater I see numerous derelict, unkept empty buildings gone to wrack and ruin and brown field areas which could be turned into accommodation. For once the council had got this decision correct - it's only taken them a good few decades!

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Makes I laugh says...
9:02am Mon 11 Mar 13

Lets hope they can get something done with the building next to it which is an eye sore and disgrace to a once beautiful building!!

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bygeorge says...
5:28pm Mon 11 Mar 13

I wonder how long it will take before these new flats in the tax office, will end up like the flats next door in the cinema building?.

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awayswing says...
9:13am Tue 12 Mar 13

I am glad that something is finally going happen with Westgate House,people all over the country need accommodation and Bridgwater is no different.
As for Odeon Buildings the last I heard was that either the Town Council or the District council could not find out who the owners are.Does anybody know if this situation has changed?
Personally I should like to see more building on brownfield sites,and to a small extent this appears on the cards for Bridgwater.but the old cattle market site still seems like a blot on the landscape.

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Blue Owl says...
11:36pm Tue 12 Mar 13

Likewise, the former Tax Offie will make ideal Accomodation Units, when refurbished. Unfortunatly, the owner of the former Odeon block is known, but to date has no intension of doing anything about the state of the buildings disrepair. I for one believe that it should either be done up, to its former glory, or bulldozed and something more appropriate on the site..
It is a major cost to make good these shops and flats above, but could be viable.
Something, rather than nothing is better than the present state it 's in.
Blue a-Owl
Regards David l Preece

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BaldCarl2 says...
1:10am Wed 13 Mar 13

Yep - knock it down or renovate it.

As for the Odeon block, perhaps the owner is banking on the price to go up once next door has been done up

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awayswing says...
9:10am Wed 13 Mar 13

Blue Owl wrote:
Likewise, the former Tax Offie will make ideal Accomodation Units, when refurbished. Unfortunatly, the owner of the former Odeon block is known, but to date has no intension of doing anything about the state of the buildings disrepair. I for one believe that it should either be done up, to its former glory, or bulldozed and something more appropriate on the site..
It is a major cost to make good these shops and flats above, but could be viable.
Something, rather than nothing is better than the present state it 's in.
Blue a-Owl
Regards David l Preece
I was under the impression,possibly wrongly,that Odeon Buildings are listed as important Art~Deco architecture.If this is the case then I would not be in favour of demolishing it.Leaving it as it is,though,is a disgrace to the owner and to Bridgwater.
If it is listed surely the owner can be compelled to at least keep it in good order,and not a risk to passing pedestrians;which is what it now looks like.

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Boring says...
11:47am Wed 13 Mar 13

More likely waiting for a compulsory purchase order, more money in it for him that way!

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@Karma says...
12:49pm Mon 18 Mar 13

Good luck Russ Butt.

Hope this latest venture is a success for you.#

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