Historic Bruton silk mill approved for conversion into private home
Silk mill in Bruton to become private home after councillors overrule Historic England
A historic silk mill on the edge of Bruton is set for a new lease of life as a private home, after councillors gave the green light despite objections from Historic England.
Gants Mill, tucked off Gants Mill Lane, has a story stretching back to the 1740s, when it was part of Somerset's wool and silk industry before later becoming a corn mill.
It's grade two-starred listed, but for years it's been in a bad way, with officials warning of a "continued loss of historic fabric" even after grant-funded repairs in the 80s and 90s.
Somerset Council has now approved plans to convert part of the site into a single home, transforming the old 'silk factory' building and engine house into a house with a side extension. The engine house will become annexe accommodation known as Mill Pond Studio.
The cart shed and tack room are set to become an office space. The mill will also feature car parking and EV charging points.
Flood defences beefed up, with raised walls near the mill pond and an expanded, heavily-planted flood bund near the railway line
The plans, submitted by R. Reed and N. Troxler back in January 2024, went before the council's planning committee south in Yeovil on Tuesday.
Rhiannon Rhys, an inspector of historic buildings at Historic England, told the meeting Gants Mill is "one of the best preserved silk factories in the south west" — and that this scheme "does not work with the fabric and form of the building."
"We recognise the challenges this site offers," she said, "however, we would maintain that a lower density use that has an ancillary function would be easier to accommodate."©
But councillors weren't convinced that standing firm was the answer. Councillor Sue Osborne (Conservative, Ilminster) argued:
"At what point does it cease to be conservation and become preservation? By going down the purist route, you end up running out of viable options."
Councillor Tim Kerley (Liberal Democrat, Somerton) backed the scheme too:
"Repurposing listed buildings to give them a modern use is the one thing we absolutely need to do... this is a sympathetic development which will secure the building for future generations."
Local councillor Tom Power, whose Wincanton and Bruton division covers the site, pointed to the derelict former Bruton School for Girls nearby as a cautionary tale:
"We're struggling to get someone to take on those buildings. Here we have someone who is willing to put money into this one."
Not everyone was on board, though. Councillor Steve Ashton (Liberal Democrat, Crewkerne) took aim at one design element in particular, drawing a comparison with Channel 4's Grand Designs:
"When you buy a listed building, you should be aware of the responsibility you have in maintaining it. The planned tower on the back doesn't sit well — I know the Grand Designs approach is you have to have something that stands out, but I think that's just a fashion at the moment."
The result: councillors voted 9-1 in favour, meaning Gants Mill's next chapter as a family home can now go ahead.