Illustrations show council plans for Beach Road in Wells
NNDC Concept For Beach Road Site. Picture: CPMG Architects - Credit: Archant
This is how hotly-debated new offices and apartments planned for a picturesque area of Wells could look.
North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) has revealed these concept illustrations which provide a better idea of what residents can expect from the proposed development.
These new plans have been drawn up after NNDC's original proposals to build on Beach Road attracted widespread criticism from residents.
Many felt they would be out of character with the surrounding area.
People also objected to plans to relocate the Eliza Adams lifeboat memorial and public toilets and the prospect of using tax payers' money to establish a business which would compete against local traders.
NNDC's initial plan was to build a large modern glass building that included holiday apartments, a restaurant and shops. They want to build newer modern public toilet facilities.
However, opposition within the community and from the town council resulted in the plans being refined to a smaller development.
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Concept illustrations, which have been released on the town council's website, show a large building with shops and three holiday apartments and it still requires the removal of the toilets and the memorial.
Town councillors are concerned that they have still not been given any clear indication as to where the toilets and the memorial will be relocated.
The town council also laid out their own plans for a development, which takes into account the feedback from residents who say that they do not want to see a large modern building and they do not want the memorial or the public toilets to be moved.
This plan aims to be a modest development, built in a style consistent with the surrounding architecture and incorporates the toilets and the memorial.
At the January meeting the town council said they would reject the NNDC's revised plans and would send representatives to the NNDC cabinet meeting on March 12 to speak on behalf of the town council and the residents of Wells.
In December the Eliza Adams memorial was chosen as one of Historic England's top 20 attractions for 2017, which further inflamed the objections to it being moved.
More information on the proposals can be found at the Wells Town Council website.