The future of Burnham-On-Sea’s former job centre remains unclear after the property failed to sell at an auction held on Thursday evening (September 24th).
There were several bids for the three-storey building, located at the junction of Burnham’s High Street and Regent Street, during a Public Auction.
Bids started at £350,000 and reached £391,000 however the guide price of £495,000 was not met and therefore the property was unsold but it remains available through agents David Plaister Auctions.
The property – which has planning consent for a restaurant on the ground floor with eight flats above – has been vacant for 18 years since it closed down as Burnham’s job centre. It needs significant development work.
Somerset Council approved proposals to redevelop it in 2024 after a previous planning application to develop the job centre was approved in 2020 but lapsed without work being undertaken, hence requiring revised plans to be submitted.
The property has been vacant since the job centre closed in March 2008. The building was set to be redeveloped into a community facility with £1million of funding from the Government’s Coastal Community Fund, but the grant bid was rejected in 2018.
There were also previous proposals for the ground floor to be turned into other uses, including a convenience store.
