BUILDING new flats in a former police station and delivering improved cricketing facilities are among the schemes people are trying to get planning permission for in Somerset.

Every week, hundreds of planning applications are submitted to Somerset Council for determination – and we have selected some of the most interesting proposals.

Most plans will be decided by council planning officers, using their legally delegated powers, but some of the most significant or contentious will go before one of the council’s five planning committees.

Planning committees are made up of elected councillors, but the decisions they make should be decided based on the council’s planning policies, not local politics.

Former Taunton police station, Burton Place, Taunton

Taunton ’s police officers moved out of their base on the A38 Shuttern, opposite the crown court, in December 2018 as operations relocated to Deane House on Belvedere Road.

Exeter-based developer Photinia Ltd, secured permission in September 2020 to turn part of the complex – which dates back to its use as a jail in the 1750s – into six new houses, with access from Burton Place.

The same company is now seeking to turn the main police station building into a huge house of multiple occupation (HMO).

If approved, 42 en-suite rooms will be created with shared kitchen facilities, comprising 21 rooms on the ground floor, 18 on the first floor and three on the top floor.

Access will be from Burton Place – but in light of the building being within walking and cycling distance from the town centre, no on-site parking will be provided.

Planning reference number: 38/24/0256

A38, Monkton Heathfield

As part of phase one of the Monkton Heathfield urban extension, land was set aside to the south of the A38 relief road to provide local sports pitches.

Permission was granted for this facility in January 2017 – since which times the sporting needs of the community have changed.

West Monkton Parish Council is now seeking to deliver a rugby pitch, a cricket pitch and a BMX pump track within this parcel of land, with car parking and changing rooms being provided near the existing access.

Planning reference number: 48/24/0036

8 Princes Street, Yeovil

8 Princes Street was once home to a Clic Sargeant charity shop, and lies within walking distance of both the Tesco superstore and the numerous public realm improvements being delivered under the Yeovil Refresh programme.

Paul Branson of Bath Road Motorcycles Ltd. has applied to convert the first and second floors of this terraced property into new flats.

The ground floor will remain in commercial use – and is currently on the market for a new tenant.

Planning reference number: 24/01731/P3GPA

The Somerset Inn, 46 Alfred Street, Taunton

The Somerset Inn lies on a narrow residential street to the east of Taunton town centre, within a short walk of Victoria Park.

The pub was run by Zena Stone’s mother “as a lifestyle choice” – though it struggled to be commercially viable, especially after the coronavirus pandemic.

Following her mothers’ passing, Ms Stone is looking to convert the pub back into a conventional dwelling.

Planning reference number: 38/24/0220

Castle Cary Cricket Club, Catherine’s Close, Castle Cary

Castle Cary Cricket Club currently use the Donald Pither pavilion during their games, which is accessed off Catherine’s Close in the centre of the town.

Under this proposal by the town council, the existing “tired and outdated” pavilion will be demolished and replaced with a more modern, accessible structure which “enhances its stunning setting at the heart of the local community”.

The new facility will also be used by the town’s football club and a large number of community groups, making it a genuine focal point for the growing town.

Planning reference number: 24/01427/FUL

To comment on any of these applications (and others), visit www.somerset.gov.uk/planning-buildings-and-land/view-and-comment-on-a-planning-application.