Bruton heritage assets removal causes 'upset' amongst residents

It is the final phase of the highways improvement scheme

A highways improvement scheme has been criticised by a councillor after local heritage assets were removed without warning.

Somerset Council has been carrying out work in Bruton over the summer, to widen pavements and resurface roads.

Slabbed paving and iron kerb edging has been removed as part of the work, causing a "great deal of upset", said councillor Lucy Trimnell.

Somerset Council said they were removed for "modern safety considerations."

At a full council meeting on Wednesday, Ms Trimnell said the highways improvement scheme had altered the character and conservation of the area.

Those living within the conservation area were particularly upset over the changes, as they have to comply with "incredibly strict rules for even the most minor alterations to their properties", Ms Trimnell said.

She added: "We really need to think about what we have and how we want to preserve it, look after it and promote it."

The B3081 Station Road is set to be resurfaced as part of the improvements

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said Ms Trimnell also suggested the council should consider appointing a heritage champion to ensure the county's assets were protected and promoted properly.

"People who own grade two listed properties in these conservation areas have to spend so much money to comply with the requirements of their housing.

"They returned home from holiday to find that the exterior of their properties - including a hotel and restaurant - had been changed completely by the work that took place.

"Sometimes these things are tiny - they're things other people might not notice, but they really matter to the communities they're in", she said.

Somerset Council said it worked closely with The South West Heritage Trust throughout the planning process of the scheme.

A spokesperson said: "All the kerbing will be preserved, some in museums in the county while the remainder will be re-used locally on a footpath and we were able to leave in other features such as cast iron grates and some signage in place.

"The trust did not consider the paving stones to be of historical interest, and they were therefore not preserved."