THE owner of a walled garden near Langford Budville has applied for planning permission to replace a ruinous gardener’s accommodation and to restore a glasshouse within the grounds.

The application says that the grade II listed buildings are “beyond practical conservation and repair”.

In the application, Mr Hall says that he aims to “re-establish the garden as a functional and productive landscape, supported by appropriately scaled facilities that respect the heritage value of the site, safeguard its setting, enabling its continued management and maintenance over the long term.”

The application says that Mr Hall acquired the walled garden through auction in late 2021 and at the point of purchase the area was in a “significantly overgrown and deteriorated condition, with extensive ivy and self-seeded vegetation obscuring large sections of the historic perimeter wall and accelerating its decay.”

Mr Hall writes that the gardener’s accommodation will be “restored and repurposed in a manner consistent with its historic role, providing modest welfare and support facilities necessary for the day-to-day management and upkeep of the garden, rather than independent residential accommodation.”

In the plans for the gardener’s accommodation, there is a washroom, sun room and bunk/rest room.

Within the comments on the application, there were concerns about the impact on the heritage of the grounds, the plans for highway access, the sewage disposal strategy and whether the development would impact flooding.

Charlie and Theresa Jacoby commented on the application, they said: “The application is fundamentally flawed due to significant technical inaccuracies, lack of policy justification, and a failure to address substantial heritage and environmental risks.”

Jane and David Lilley, commented: “This proposal represents an inappropriate new development in the open countryside, increases the existing highway safety risks and causes harm to a valued heritage asset, not to mention the local rural setting. We therefore respectfully request that the Planning Authority refuse this application.”

Nicholas and Hilary Mitchel, commented: “We are writing to object to the planning application for a new two-storey house within the boundary of the historic Walled Garden in Wellisford, Somerset. The proposal shows a two-story residential dwelling where currently there are only the historical remains of a former shelter and store.

“The applicant acquired the Walled Garden in 2021 and, sadly, this has remained neglected other than a few minor works of tree removal and cutting back vegetation.”

Somerset Council aim to make a decision on this application by March 2.