A new planning application has been unveiled this week to convert the upper floors of a town centre building in Burnham‑On‑Sea into four self‑contained apartments.
The ground floor — formerly Lloyds Bank — are being earmarked for commercial use by the new owner for a collective of property-focused businesses, as we reported here.
The new plans seek permission of Somerset Council to subdivide the existing first and second‑floor residential accommodation into four apartments, along with the installation of three new dormer windows to match the building’s existing roof design.
Bin and cycle storage would be created in the rear yard, and the development is proposed to be car‑free due to its central location and access to public transport.
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’.
The property’s new owner says in the planning application that the changes will make “more efficient and sustainable use” of the building, noting that the upper floors are already in residential use.
It adds that the new dormers have been designed to “replicate the scale, proportions and detailing of the existing dormer” to preserve the character of the Conservation Area.
APW Planning Consultants have lodged the proposal on behalf of the applicant for 73 High Street.
The applicant’s planning statement adds that the proposal aligns with both the Sedgemoor Local Plan and the Burnham‑On‑Sea & Highbridge Neighbourhood Plan, which encourage the reuse of upper floors in the town centre to support regeneration and increase housing choice.
No changes are proposed to the building’s historic High Street frontage, says the application, adding that the internal alterations would not affect the appearance of the Conservation Area.
The application concludes that the scheme would “preserve the character and appearance” of the area while providing much‑needed housing.
The new application – reference 11/26/00021 – is now with Somerset Council for consideration. Feedback is being welcomed by the council’s planning department until April 21st, 2026.
Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here that new jobs are set to be created after local businessman Darren Clapp officially acquired the former Lloyds Bank building. The site will become the headquarters for The DC Group, a fast-growing collective of property-focused businesses offering everything from residential lettings and estate agency services to renovations, software solutions, and financial partnerships.
The closure of Lloyds meant Nationwide is the only remaining bank in Burnham-On-Sea. Nat West shut its Burnham-On-Sea branch in October 2017. Barclays Bank closed its Burnham-On-Sea branch in 2018. And HSBC shut in Burnham-On-Sea during 2017.
