THE planned sale of a beloved building in Bridgwater town centre has been branded a “betrayal” by the town’s civic society.

Somerset Council set its annual budget in February on the basis of selling off large amounts of its land, property and “non-operational assets”.

The government has allowed the council to use the proceeds from these sales to fund day-to-day services (under a ‘capitalisation directive’), with £36.9m of receipts being built into the 2024/25 budget.

Among other assets on the chopping block, the council intends to auction off the Cornhill complex in the centre of Bridgwater, which is currently home to the town’s Prezzo restaurant and an indoor market.

But the Bridgwater and District Civic Society (which seeks to preserve the town’s heritage) has lambasted the proposals, expressing “shock and disgust” at the planned sale and throwing its weight behind the town council’s ongoing efforts to buy the building.

The building, which is grade one listed, dates back to 1834 and was originally used as the Bridgwater corn exchange.

The building lies on the Celebration Mile route, which once completed will run from the Northgate Docks to the town’s railway station, and also lies on the procession route for the annual Bridgwater Carnival.

The building was in the ownership of Sedgemoor District Council and passed to Somerset Council when the new unitary authority assumed control in April 2023.

Since the asset sale was proposed, Bridgwater Town Council had offered to buy the building from Somerset Council for £1, fix its broken roof and provide security to the local tenants – an offer which the Civic Society claims has been rejected by officers.

Civic Society chairman Dave Chapple said: “Somerset Council’s decision to dispose of the Cornhill Market to the highest private bidder is a betrayal of Bridgwater’s heritage.

“It is another indictment of the government’s botched decision to abolish district councils and substitute single county-wide remote control.

“I do not believe that any of Somerset’s Bridgwater councillors voted for this – yet when our own town council offers to take the Cornhill back into local hands, they are snubbed.

“We fully support the town council’s bid to take over the market building.”

Assuming that any deal with the town council cannot be done, Somerset Council intends to sell the Cornhill building at private auction some time in the next 12 to 18 months.

The sale of this and other assets – including one of Taunton’s multi-storey car parks, development land in Evercreech and a business park in Yeovil – are expected to raise between £17m and £21m for the council.

Mr Chapple added: “Utopia may be an unknown word to penny-pinching Somerset councillors, but some of us can envisage a wonderful future for the Cornhill Market if we can keep it in public hands.

“For example, the beautiful space under the market dome could be transformed into an art gallery which could attract regional and national attention, just as the Tate Gallery at St Ives has done.

“The political party currently in control of Somerset has long prided itself on its local attachments and responsibilities.

“That same majority party, without a single Bridgwater councillor, is now busying itself selling off much of the ‘family silver’.

“We are right to be angry.

“We hope that a county-wide campaign can soon be launched to bring together all those local communities who are faced with losing much-loved buildings.”