Former Bridgwater pub site could be turned into nine homes as appeal lodged
Plans for nine townhouses on the former Three Crowns pub site head to appeal after council refusal
The former site of a Bridgwater pub could be turned into nine new homes if an appeal proves successful.
The Three Crowns pub stood at 15 St. Mary Street in Bridgwater town centre, closing its doors to patrons in 2003, with Sedgemoor District Council granting permission for its demolition back in 2013 and later setting aside £300,000 to help redevelop the site in February 2020.
Abtacore Ltd. (which is based in Chiswick, west London) was refused permission in July 2025 to build nine townhouses on the vacant land, with Somerset Council (which replaced the district council in April 2023) arguing the new occupants would experience “unacceptable living conditions”.
The developer is now seeking to overturn this decision through an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, with a final ruling being expected by the late-spring.
The site lies on the procession route of the annual Bridgwater Carnival, a few yards from the Admiral Blake fish and chip shop and a short walk from the Blake Gardens green space.
The sole pedestrian and vehicular access will be from St. Mary Street, with a courtyard layout being provided and cycle spaces being provided for residents.
Each of the new homes will be one-bedroom properties, but none of them will be offered below the market rate.
A spokesperson for Nick Hutching Architects Ltd. (representing the applicant) said: “The site being in such close proximity to the centre of Bridgwater makes a residential proposal the most sustainable development.
“It will reduce resident’s dependence on vehicular transport and would therefore minimises the pressure on the outer highway network.
“All of the essential facilities, which would need to be accessed as a result of a residential development, can all be found within a short walk from the site.”
The council refused the plans through the delegated powers of its planning officers, rather than a public decision by its planning committee north (which handles major applications within the former Sedgemoor area).
The plans were refused on a single ground: that the development would “result in unacceptable living conditions of the future occupiers of the dwellings” due to a “lack of outlook”, the proximity of nearby buildings and a “limited” amount of floorspace.
The Planning Inspectorate had confirmed that the appeal will be settled through written representations, rather than an in-person public inquiry.