A WEST Somerset pub and hotel damaged by fire earlier this year is to be brought back to its former glory under new proposals.

Firefighters were called out to the West Somerset Hotel in Watchet in the early hours of the morning on February 11.

The fire destroyed the roof of the pub’s skittle alley and caused smoke damage to the rest of the building.

Plans have now been submitted to Somerset West and Taunton Council to repair the skittle alley and associated structures.

While the grade two listed pub on Swain Street dates back to the early 19th Century, the skittle alley is a much younger building, having been constructed in the mid-20th Century.

The fire required the attendance of firefighters from across the district to extinguish it, with crews from Nether Stowey and Wiveliscombe being called in after an initial response from Minehead, Taunton and Williton.

The Stonegate Pub Company, which runs the West Somerset Hotel, said the work being planned would ‘remove damaged fabrics and reinstate the roof… with ‘like for like’ materials’.

A spokesman said: “The skittle alley is an important part of the fabric of the West Somerset Hotel and a unique feature identifying its cultural function.

“The proposed works contained within the application will ensure the continued use of the skittle alley, and will aid the recreational and economic performance of the site.”

Watchet Town Council has recommended the plans be approved, stating it has no objection to the proposals.

The district council is expected to make a final decision on the plans before the end of the year.

Daniel Mumby

Local Democracy Reporter