COUNCILLORS have praised developers for wanting to turn the former Kings Arms Hotel in Wellington into a social housing.

Falcon Rural Housing has applied to the Somerset West and Taunton Council for planning permission for the change of use and conversion of the former High Street pub into four flats along with ground floor community space and associated parking and amenity facilities.

Members of Wellington Town Council’s planning committee gave the application their support when they met on Monday (August 1).

The Mayor, Cllr Mark Lithgow, said: “I’m just pleased that the developers have not put in as many chicken houses in there as possible, but instead are providing four decent-sized apartments for social housing.”

Cllr Janet Lloyd said: “We understand what the company wants to do with it and it can only be an improvement.”

And Cllr John Thorne added: “We all welcome this application and it can only happen sooner the better in my opinion.”

The Kings Arms officially closed its doors on December 30, 2015, and it remained empty until bought by Falcon Rural Housing in June 2021.

“Unfortunately, during this six-year period, the Kings Arms had a spate of vandalism, fire, rough sleepers and was not maintained in any way whatsoever,” said a spokesman for the applicants.

“As a result, the entire property, internally and externally, has fallen into a complete state of disrepair and is practically derelict.”

Falcon did give the front of the building a “cosmetic facelift” to make a significant visual improvement to its eyesore status.

It has been proposed to create two two-bedroom and two one-bedroom flats within the current first and second floors of the building and converting the existing roof-space to provide “social rented units for local people on low wages.”

The spokesman added: “The building is not listed, but is situated in a designated Conservation Area and has been allowed to fall into a very bad state of disrepair.

“Internally, it is immediately evident that little or no maintenance work has been undertaken for at least a decade and a vast amount of damage has occurred recently through sheer neglect and vandalism.

“Furthermore, it would appear that the many previous alterations and redesigns from the 1900’s to the present day, have not been carried out to a particularly high standard.

“Whilst the lack of maintenance and poor repair has been generally remedied and concealed on the front elevation with the recent application of a new coat of paint across the whole, and this decoration has received nothing but positive comments from Ilminster Town Council and the passing public as it now ceases to be a High Street eyesore.”

And the spokesman concluded: “Approving this scheme will attract substantial maintenance and repair investment as well as love, care and respect for the building, without which the building would remain unoccupied, boarded up, eroding, rotting and decaying.

“This would be a travesty for the local Town Centre and the community as a whole.”

A final decision rests with the Somerset West and Taunton Council.