Housing developer buys former paper mill site

A developer has announced it has bought a former Somerset paper mill site, paving the way for its transformation.

The Wansbrough site in Watchet has been vacant since 2015 when the business closed down.

Stratton Land Ltd secured planning permission to temporarily use the site to store soil from another housing development in Minehead and has now purchased the site.

Amended plans for the site’s redevelopment are expected to come forward within the next few months.

A spokesman for the developer said in August said: “The [Watchet] site will be developed by Stratton Land Ltd to construct at least 280 residential dwellings with private gardens, associated roads, foot-ways, parking, drainage, landscaping, public open space, and associated infrastructure.

“However, parts of the site fall under flood zones 1 and 2, and consequently ground levels require raising. The scope of works for this application is to stockpile sub-soil in readiness to raise the levels as necessary.”