MILLIONS of pounds could be spent to convert a disused railway building infested with pigeons into a plush waterside restaurant and bar.

Fresh proposals for The Pump House, at Firepool Lock, Taunton, which has been vandalised over the years, are set to be submitted to planners before Christmas.

As well as a pub in the Grade II listed building, which originally provide the nearby railway station with water from the canal for steam engines, there would be an elevated restaurant extension looking out over the lock.

But previous plans to convert the actual water tank for dining use under a glass roof are likely to be ditched.

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And delivery and car access would be from the Northern Inner Distributor Road rather than Canal Road to help facilitate the redevelopment proposals for Firepool - a second planning application for that site is imminent after a previous one was rejected.

Nigel Timmis, managing director of The Pump House owners Abbey Manor, said the building currently benefits from an existing planning permission.

"The new scheme is very similar to the previous one, but maybe more modest in scope," added Mr Timmis.

"The building has been in a pretty bad state for a long time and there have been all sorts of people breaking into it over many years.

"The actual building is secure and we've done out best to keep people out, but they've been very persistent.

"We decided to change the service access from the old cattle market to one using the NIDR and we feel the conversion of the water tank itself was perhaps a little ambitious."

The project would involve a "significant investment", with Mr Timmis confirming it would cost "well over £1 million", although he declined to give a more precise figure.

He said Abbey Manor has spoken to a number of potential occupiers and has an agent in waiting.

He added: "The key to it is getting the old cattle market redeveloped.

"We couldn't commercially undertake that until the outcome of the cattle market is known - I understand that a planning application is about to be re-submitted to committee shortly.

"We wouldn't start anything until we know what form the Firepool scheme is going to take as it's very unlikely any operator would commit to it without knowing that.

"A final investment decision must, of necessity, be preceded by a resolution of the form and content of the cattle market scheme, which we continue to monitor."