PLANS have been submitted for a large country house on the Blackdown Hills near Wellington to go back to its original residential use.

Widcombe Grange and Widcombe House, Culmhead, had been let until earlier this year to Wellington-based The Big House Company for commercial use for events and weddings.

The one-acre site includes the country house, Keepers Cottage, Coach House, outbuildings, a swimming pool, and 22 acres of grounds.

Now, new owners want to change the 19th century country house back to its historic use as residential, but continue using the remaining properties for commercial purposes.

Planning agent Nick Francis, of LSL Architecture Ltd, said Widcombe Grange was a seven-bedroom arts and crafts country house next to the detached stone-built three-bedroom Keepers Cottage, and the two-storey Coach House, which had been used for weddings and parties and also as a games room.

The properties were ring fenced by mature landscaped grounds with lakes, orchards, pasture, and broadleaf woodland.

Mr Francis said Keepers Cottage and Coach House would continue to be used as serviced holiday lets.

He said although there was an absence of historic planning applications to lawfully use the site commercially, the use existed due to the unauthorised use continuing for more than 10 years, rather than a formal approval.

Mr Francis said: “This application provides the opportunity to legally formalise the use classes on the site and provide both residential and commercial uses.

He said pre-application advice from Somerset Council indicated the plans were likely to be recommended for approval because they retained a commercial element on the site.

Mr Francis said: “The proposal put forward utilises a site where historically residential buildings have existed.

“Applying for the change of use from commercial to residential to the country house is a reinstatement of the site.”