Part of Burnham-On-Sea’s former Lloyds Bank building will be turned into new flats after councillors approved plans to replace its ageing timber window frames with heritage‑style uPVC, overruling concerns raised by Somerset Council’s planning officers.
The ground floor of the building is earmarked for commercial use by the new owner for a collective of property-focused businesses, as we reported here.
Lloyds closed the Burnham-On-Sea branch in November 2024, as Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here, due to ‘declining use caused by a rise in digital transactions’.
New owner Darren Clapp secured permission in April 2026 to convert the first and second floors of the landmark College Street building into four flats, with separate proposals lodged to improve its external appearance. But officers objected to the use of uPVC, arguing that swapping the existing wooden frames for modern materials would harm the character of the town’s conservation area.
The planning committee north disagreed during its meeting in Bridgwater on August 11th, voting nine to one in favour of the changes and describing the officer stance as “an arcane rule in a dusty tome” that risked undermining the viability of new homes.
Mr Clapp told councillors he supported conservation but said the building’s windows were in poor condition and needed replacing. Being only “100 yards from the sea”, he said, meant the frames were exposed to salt, wind and rain, making timber difficult to maintain. He explained that installing new wooden frames would cost £152,000 compared with £43,000 for heritage‑style uPVC, asking: “What does spending that extra £109,000 actually achieve?”
He added that the modern alternative would provide the appearance the council wanted while offering better longevity and energy efficiency. The top floor already has uPVC windows, he said, and he wanted consistency across the building. He also confirmed plans to reinstate the marble frontage following the removal of the former ATM.
Councillors from across the political spectrum backed the proposals. Councillor Matt Martin said the windows clearly needed replacing and that insisting on timber would force the applicant to satisfy “continuity with someone else’s decision” at unnecessary cost. He said Mr Clapp was not trying to modernise the building and would “retain the look and feel of this property.”
Councillor Mike Murphy said College Street already had “every kind of window you could hope to have” and praised the plan to renew the stone and marble facing. He argued that heritage‑style uPVC had “developed tremendously” and that there was no case for strict enforcement.
Councillor Tony Grimes said the coastal weather made wooden frames a “false economy”, while Councillor Hilary Bruce warned that refusing permission could harm the viability of much‑needed one‑bedroom homes. And Councillor Alan Bradford added that global forest fires were pushing timber prices “through the roof”, making the officer recommendation unrealistic.
After nearly an hour of debate, councillors voted overwhelmingly to approve the plans, clearing the way for the prominent building to be restored and brought back into use.
