PLANS to restore a listed Taunton house that was badly damaged in a fire have been submitted.

The scheme outlines plans to rebuild large parts of a home at 164 Kingston Road, which was devastated by a blaze in May 2023.

The thatched roof and the interior of the building were destroyed in the fire, which saw 12 crews sent to battle the blaze, which was reported at around 2am.

Now, plans have been submitted detailing the proposed rebuilding of the former farmhouse, which potentially dates from the 1600s.

The application said the rebuild aims to “maintain the pre-existing aesthetic” of the building, with some alterations to the roof.

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“The north single storey section, which was previously covered in thatch, was the location of the source of ignition of the fire, and it is therefore proposed to alter the roof covering in this area to prevent a similar incident happening again in the future, which could cause a total loss of the heritage asset,” it said.

“The main upper two-storey roof will remain thatched to match existing.

“It is also worth noting that the north single storey section is a later addition, and therefore the thatch, in the late 1800s, would have been extended down over it, and that the original main section of the building would have previously been the only thatched element on the site until that point.

“This area has therefore ‘only’ been covered in thatch for circa 140 years, out of the potential circa 400-year history of the building, and therefore an alteration of this section now is not considered to materially impact the original form of the heritage asset.

“It cannot be avoided that this alteration will change the appearance of the building, but it is a change that illustrates and marks a significant event in the building’s history.”

The property, in Kingston Road, before the fire. Picture: Google

Any areas able to be preserved and retained would be, the plan added, despite a significant financial burden on the owner.

“The good news from the strip out phase is that it is considered possible and feasible to repair the property so that, externally the property will largely reflect the aesthetic of the property prior to the fire,” the application added.

“That said, doing so puts upon the applicant substantial financial pressures, as because the property is not classed as a rebuild, VAT is payable on the works.

“This means that the budget for the work is tight and therefore it is critical that this be considered alongside the necessity to reinstate the property in a sympathetic manner.”

For more details on the scheme, log on to somerset.gov.uk and search application reference 38/25/0068/LB.