An application to change the use of a Frome pub and restaurant into seven residential flats and a commercial unit has been submitted to Somerset Council.
The application seeks permission to convert the upstairs of The Old Bath Arms on Palmer Street into housing while retaining a commercial unit on the ground floor.
The owners say the Grade II listed building requires £141,000 of urgent repairs. In the Design and Access Statement, it says the pub has seen a 42% increase in costs since 2020, making the business “nonviable”.
The statement says, “The building has taken a battering over the past six to seven years. There are urgent repairs required to the value of c. £141,000, which further confounds the non-viable nature of the business.”
Along with the flats, the plans propose five parking spaces at the rear of the building, cycle storage and covered storage for refuse and recycling. The scheme also includes the removal of covered terraces and outbuildings at the rear to improve the appearance from Bath Street.
Frome Town Council has supported the application but said several issues should be addressed before a decision is made. These include details of bin and recycling storage, cycle storage provision, window design and courtyard elevations.
