WATCHET residents had their first chance to see plans for the massive redevelopment of the town’s paper mill site, when developers Tameer Homes held a public consultation at the Sanctuary last Friday and Saturday.

And the event sparked controversy among civic leaders over whether the proposed scheme was the best one for the town.

Over 400 people visited the project which involves 400 homes, a 220-bed residential care village, a serviced apart-hotel, small business units and a river feature running through the 41-acre site.

Other proposals for the site include a landscaping scheme and wildlife corridors. Housing will consist of two, three and five-storey houses and flats.

The Wansbrough paper mill was closed down by previous owners D S Smith with the loss of 170 jobs in December, 2015, ending 265 years of paper-making in the town.

Comments on questionnaire forms were divided between welcoming the scheme after three years of uncertainly following the mill closure and worries that more housing would overwhelm the town’s infrastructure and traffic system.

Paul Atton, of Hertfordshire-based JB Planning Associates, who are advising the new owners, said they were delighted by the number of people who visited the exhibition.

“Many were supportive of what we were doing and have made helpful suggestions about ways we could progress the scheme. Everyone wants to see the site used in a positive way after the years of uncertainty,” he said.

Mr Atton told the Free Press that he appreciated the general concern about the strain that the housing development would put on the town’s infrastructure, traffic capacity and public services.

“We will soon be starting a series of meetings to address these problems with local medical, education and highways authorities, council officers and other relevant stakeholders and hope to come up with a long-term strategy.”

Mr Atton said there would be further public consultations as the scheme progressed: “There is a great deal pf work to do in decontaminating and developing the site of this size and a two-year time-frame is not unrealistic.”

He thought it possible that, after a basic layout had been finalised, outline planning permission could be applied for by early summer.

But the town’s business and conservation leaders said they had reservations about the project.

Full report with reactions in tomorrow’s Free Press (May 3)