Fight to save historic building (Weston Mercury 25/07/2010)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the Weston Mercury:

Residents in Portishead are campaigning to save another of the town's historic buildings from development.

Plans to turn the old Masonic Hall in Pier Road into six flats and a two-bedroom house have been met with fierce opposition. More than 70 objections have been made against the planning application.

In the late 19th Century, the building was a station and ticket office serving Portishead Pier and the Docks Railway, but as well as being of historical interest, residents claim the proposals will cause chaos in the narrow streets nearby because of a lack of parking. The narrow streets of Port Marine's Fishing Village are already often clogged with parked vehicles.

Portishead Town Council planning committee has voted against the plans giving both the historical interest and parking and access problems as their reasons.

Meanwhile, resident Annette Hennessy is calling for the hall to be made a listed building.

She says the area has significant importance both from an industrial perspective and with regards to tourism and feels strongly that history should be preserved and retained.