A POPULAR bar in Bridgwater town centre will be getting a significant facelift if new plans are approved.

Paul Moate, of Moate Estate Ltd, has applied to make a number of refurbishments to Baillee’s cocktail bar, which is located at 29 High Street near St Mary’s Church.

The bar will be reconfigured to make it more accessible and inviting for customers, with new toilets being plumbed in and the existing staircase being replaced.

Somerset Council is expected to make a decision on the plans before Christmas, meaning the work could be carried out early in the year.

The bar lies a stone’s throw from both Bridgwater Town Hall and the Engine Room facility – both of which are receiving substantial upgrades as part of the £23.2m Bridgwater town deal.

Under the proposals, the ground floor will be significantly changed, with the toilet layout being altered, a new opening to the bar area at the rear and decorative panelling being installed in the bar area.

The first floor will be strengthened, with new toilets and a section being cordoned off for private event hire

The current staircase will be removed and replaced with a new staircase near the rear bar area.

More planning applications and public notices can be found by visiting publicnoticeportal.uk/bridgwater-mercury. 

A spokesman for Eleven10 Architecture (representing the applicant) said: “The property is currently a public house and the use will remain the same. The property will remain unaltered in volume.

“The work includes the removal of the remaining head section of the inglenook fireplace, due to structural support concerns and risk of collapse, as well as the removal of the brick/stone-works of the chimney breasts up through the first floor to the rear roof void.

“Opening the bricked-in doorway to the rear wall of the bar area will provide
access direct from the bar area to the cellar and rear service area at the ground floor.

“We will undertake structural support works to the first floor to tie the floor into the front elevation, as the first floor is currently not connect to the front elevation and poses a significant structural risk of collapse to the property.

“The proposed work is mainly internal, with some minor external works such as the installation of photovoltaic panels and a roof light.”

The council is expected to make a decision on the proposed renovations before the end of the year.