SOMERSET Council has officially confirmed that the sale of Bridgwater’s Cornhill building will go ahead, with the property soon coming to the market. 

Property consultants Alder and King have now been instructed to dispose of the historic asset, which dates to 1824 and is Grade One listed.

The decision to sell the building was made by Somerset Council back in August 2024, subject to existing leases. It is one of several assets across the county that the local authority is intending to sell, which could raise up to £21 million.

The building is currently home to several businesses, including the national restaurant chain, Prezzo, along with independent traders in the Cornhill Indoor Market.  

Traders at the Cornhill Indoor Market have spoken of their concerns about the sale of the building, which they claim they have not been officially informed about.  

One trader, John Haughton of Cornhill Watches, said: “We have not been told it’s up for sale.”

But a Somerset Council spokesperson commented that “they have spoken verbally with traders when asked about the Cornhill in recent weeks and months.”

The sale of the Cornhill building was raised in two public meetings at Somerset Council in recent months, at Scrutiny Committee in July 2024, and again at Executive in August 2024, when the decision to sell was made.

Bridgwater and District Civic Society has previously lambasted the proposals, expressing “shock and disgust” at the planned sale and throwing its weight behind Bridgwater Town Council's efforts to purchase the historic building.

The news of the sale comes amid low trade and footfall for businesses in the Cornhill building and across the town. Business owners say that roadworks associated with the Celebration Mile have impacted trade. 

The building is steeped in history, originally having an octagonal market cross on the site that was erected in the late 14th century, when the Cornhill was known as Cornchepyng. On market days, fish, fowl, vegetables, and other fare were traded at the Cornhill.