HOLFORD residents have succeeded in a bid to have the village's historic Silk Mills site listed as an asset of community value.

A separate application for the John Arlott Playground in Timberscombe to be listed was also approved at a meeting of West Somerset Council's cabinet last week.

But while the Timberscombe application was recommended for approval and won the unanimous support of the cabinet, the Holford bid split both council officers and councillors and had been recommended for refusal.

Chief executive Adrian Dyer said there had been "a difference of opinion" among officers over whether to support or oppose the application from the 24-member Silk Mills Action Group.

He said the fact there was no formal public access to the site had been the main cause of concern.

But planning manager Andrew Goodchild advised members that should the site and the building be listed as an asset, that listing would have to be taken into account as a "material consideration" if a planning application was ever received to develop the land.

Cabinet member Cllr Keith Turner said he was unsure a community asset listing was appropriate for the site and said more could be achieved if the action group applied to the county council for the informal access to be upgraded to a formal public right of way.

He was supported by Cllr Steven Pugsley, while others, including deputy leader and local ward member Cllr Chris Morgan were adamant Silk Mills was an asset to Holford and should be listed.

Residents Peter Grandfield and Stuart Taverner told councillors there had been a permissive footpath on site until 1982, while informal access was allowed when the land was owned by the League Against Cruel Sports.

However, the league had since sold Silk Mills and local people were concerned the new owner might want to develop it.

"We are simply attempting to put a stamp on the site and say the people of the village love this site and want to keep it as it is," Mr Taverner said.

In its application for the listing, the action group said it was "appalled" the league had put the land straight on to the open market and said the site should be preserved due to its historical, scientific, cultural and archaeological importance.

They said they wanted the listing to try and ensure public access continued to be allowed to the rundown mill buildings and surrounding woodland which featured in rock star Bryan Adams' 1991 music video for the song Everything I do.

"The local inhabitants and many visitors love it as it is today and the vast majority of parishioners want to see it made safe and preserved in its present state and not developed in any way," the application said.

Cabinet members were split when it came to decide whether to list the site, but enough voted in favour and Silk Mills was added to the authority's ever-growing list of community assets.

Under the Localism Act, certain groups and organisations can nominate land or buildings as "assets of community value" to give them additional protection to try and prevent them being lost to development.

The main aim is to prevent local pubs and businesses from being turned into housing, by preventing listed assets from being sold on the open market unless the community is given the chance to buy them first - or, in the case of a business, the premises is sold as a going concern.

Speaking on behalf of Timberscombe residents, parish councillor John Goodall told the meeting listing the village's John Arlott Playground would give local people peace of mind.

"It is the only asset the children have got in the village.

"If it came to a point when the diocese wanted to sell the playing field the school would also suffer as they have no playing field of their own.

"The pre-school children use the playing field also and it brings people together on warm sunny days," Mr Goodall said.

Both officers and cabinet members agreed and the playground was also listed as an asset of community value.