PLANS for a major facelift at a Taunton shopping mall have been thrown out by planners worried about its affect on a retail and housing development proposed on adjoining council land.
The owners of Crown Walk say they will appeal against the decision to block plans to convert it into three shops and to seal off pedestrian access between High Street and the Crescent car park.
Insureprofit Ltd had wanted to gut the mall, where there are several small indoor shops and a number of open units in the passageway.
But councillors voted 13 to one abstention to reject the application at their meeting on Wednesday because they felt it would be "prejudicial to the attractiveness and viability of the proposed Crescent car park redevelopment scheme".
Insureprofit director Ian Blakeley told councillors the Crescent developers had shown no interest in buying Crown Walk when it was up for sale for nine months last year.
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