Former paper mill could be 'jewel in town's crown'

People in a harbour town have united as part of a bid to see a paper mill transformed into housing.

Wansbrough paper mill in Watchet, Somerset, was in operation from 1652 to 2015 and has been largely unused for 10 years. It was damaged in a serious fire in June.

Some people think the 38-acre brownfield site could become "the jewel in the crown for Watchet" and affordable housing there - alongside facilities like restaurants - could benefit local young people. Somerset Council said it was "open" to discussions.

Lizzie Fone, a trustee for Base for Life Watchet, said: "Nobody wants to see it [the mill] closed. We need more housing, more infrastructure, that's something the mill site can provide."

"We are quite isolated geographically," Fone explained. "Once you turn off the M5, it's another 40 minutes before you reach our location, which makes it really hard for anyone to realistically consider moving and commuting out."

People gathered from 10:00 BST for a day of music, activities and marches towards the entrance of the site.

Base for Life Watchet, a community interest company set up by Watchet residents to tackle the local housing crisis, presented its ideas with an exhibition by architectural students from the University of the West of England and their visions for what the land could look like.

Campaigners also said they would like to see facilities such as a country park, a wildlife reserve and an information centre on the site.

In its heyday, the mill provided jobs for hundreds of local people and supported the local maritime and railway industries.

"It was the social core of the town," recalled Liz McGrath, chair of Base for Life Watchet.

She said campaigners wanted to make the abandoned site "the jewel in the crown of Watchet" once more with the housing plan.

Marika Mossman, owner of the Fortitude gym in Williton, came to the event because of her "real passion" for the area.

She said she thought affordable housing could keep young talent in West Somerset as a whole.

She said: "Some people think it is a dead area. I hear about young people moving away and that's quite sad.

"I know within my community I have a lot of people say they can't afford to buy houses here. That has a massive effect on businesses and the area as a whole."

The mill was bought by a London-based developer in 2018, according to Land Registry documents previously obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Base for Life Watchet said it had "made connections" with owners about its plan for the paper mill site and that "good relationships" had been forged.

Meanwhile, Somerset Council confirmed to the BBC that there had been "limited" discussions with the landowner since previous applications fore the site never came to fruition.

A spokesperson said: "The council remains open to discussions around how its redevelopment may be taken forward for the benefit of Watchet and we would welcome ideas from the local community."

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