AN empty Wellington kebab and pizza shop which was repossessed by its owner before Christmas could be turned into a house.

Norland Properties (Bristol) Ltd, owner of Chic-O-Land, in North Street, has submitted a legal request to Somerset Council that it can convert the ground floor of the property without a full planning application.

The Clevedon-based company wants confirmation from the council that it has ‘prior approval’ for the work, which is an acknowledgement that the plan meets national planning guidelines.

Norland went to court in December to obtain a possession order on the Chic-O-Land premises after ending a lease agreement dated June, 2021, which it had with Dede Akbulut and Sarah Pocock.

At the time, solicitor Michael Thomas said the company had identified ‘serious defects’ in the building which could render it unsafe.

Now, Norland director David Curwen has told planners he wants to convert the ground floor takeaway premises and use the two-storey property as a residential house.

Mr Curwen said the shop front would be changed to match the next-door house by changing the door and window design.

A preparation room at the rear of the shop would be demolished to create a small backyard, and the internal lay-out of the building would be redesigned.

Wellington town councillors will be asked for their views on the application when they meet on Monday evening (February 5) in the United Reformed Church Hall, in Fore Street.

Somerset Council ecologist Tobias Palmer said the property had negligible ecological features and he therefore did not object to the plans.

The unitary council has set itself a target of March 7 to decide if it accepts the application.