TWO former businesses that have “fallen into disrepair and neglect” in a Somerset village could be turned into housing.
SDS Property Investments has submitted plans to change the use of a former restaurant and two-bed flat into a four-bed house, as well as seeking to change the use of the adjacent hair salon and one-bed flat into a three-bed house with a ground floor office.
Both former businesses, Nanny Idas and The Hair Shop, known as the Grade II listed ‘Chez Nous and attached shop to right’ are found in the heart of Wedmore on Church Street and have been empty since 2019.
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The applicant said both buildings are in a “poor state of repair” and the gardens and outbuildings have been described as dilapidated.
Agent Benjamin and Beauchamp said: “Conversion of the former café back into a dwelling has a number of benefits including the removal of a number of poor-quality late C20 additions, the removal of unsympathetic finishes, the reinstatement of the original floor plan form, and also the reinstatement of this property as a house, which best suits the configuration of the front facade with its domestic appearance.
“Conversion of the former hairdresser and flat into a single house with a studio office space allows the existing shop front onto Church Street to be retained and also fulfils a need within the village of Wedmore for flexible housing incorporating small business uses.”
The agent said that since Nanny Ida’s ceased trading, there have been three new cafes/restaurants opened in Wedmore, and the village is now served by seven outlets serving food and drink, “plus a number of further pop-up outlets and suggests that Wedmore has now reached capacity.”
The agent added: “These proposals will repair and repurpose this property, which has been unoccupied and has fallen into disrepair and neglect over recent years.”
Emergency re-roofing works took place at the properties back in the summer of 2023.
I was still running the Hair Salon in 2023. Was requested to close due to sale of property.
The new owner gutted the place. It was not in a poor state of repair when I closed.
On my earlier comment I said I was still proprietor of the Hair salon in 2023. That should have been 2022