In planning news in and around Midsomer Norton this week:

Under 21/05706/FUL an application is in to build a two storey side extension, new vehicle access and a drive way at 3 St Mark's Road in Midsomer. Planning Portal Reference: PP-10508902

Over in Radstock, the Hope House doctors surgery, which will be closed once the new medical centre is opened up on Waterloo Road, could be turned into flats. Under Planning Portal Reference Number PP-10496838, Gloucestershire architect firm LPC (Trull) has put in an application to create eight flats on the site.

The planning papers say that : "Radstock is considered to be one the best preserved mining town in England and retains many of the features relating mining activities, however the sources show Hope House remained in use as a farmhouse well into the C19.

....There was property in this location since c.1680, however the present building has been thoroughly remodelled on several occasions and retains little if any historic fabric of any real note."

And this from the Local Democracy Reporter Stephen Sumner.

A charity's Bath HQ is set to be rebuilt with 120 students living above it after revised plans got the go-ahead.

Developers Toplocation 4 Ltd and Longacre said it would cost more than £1.75million to bring the Jubilee Centre up to a modern lettable standard so they needed to find a new viable use.

They said the £10million scheme could be built out within 18 months.

It was approved just before Christmas after its previous proposals were branded a "monstrosity" and unanimously rejected by planning chiefs.

The developers said: "The finalised application scheme offers a creative design solution that not only provides purpose-built replacement employment space of higher quality with greater flood resilience, but also includes PBSA (purpose-built student accommodation) – a use that does not require off-street car parking and can generate sufficient value to fund the comprehensive redevelopment of the site."

They said the scheme would provide student housing to help Bath's universities meet their accommodation needs and a central depot and administrative centre for Mercy in Action, which will be granted a long-term lease.

Dozens opposed the original scheme for the Jubilee Centre but only the Bath Preservation Trust maintained its objection.

It said the six-storey building proposed would be excessive and visually dominating and the developers had failed to justify putting more PBSA on Lower Bristol Road.

Bath and North East Somerset Council planning officers judged that the use was acceptable.

Approving the application, they said: "The applicant considers that the provision of student accommodation to address the future shortfall is a significant benefit of the scheme.

"Over the [Local Plan] period a shortfall of 640 student beds has been identified which, if not addressed, would lead to increased pressure in the private rented sector.

"Dick Lovett will provide 335 PBSA beds within the plan period and the Scala could provide around 72. This leaves a shortfall of 233 beds.

"This application at the Jubilee Centre will provide 120 further beds which would therefore go some way to addressing the remaining shortfall."

The officers said the planning inspector gave significant weight to the shortfall when proposals for 80 student flats at the Plumb Center were allowed on appeal last year, but said there was little evidence for the claim it would free up family homes.

The council is currently updating its Local Plan to allocate student housing at the University of Bath's Claverton Down campus to address future shortfalls.

The officers added: "The previous application was refused in part on design grounds. This application represents a significant evolution in terms of design by the applicant.

"The proposal by reason of its design, siting, scale, massing, layout and materials is acceptable and contributes and responds to the local context and maintains the character and appearance of the surrounding area."

They said it was acceptable for student accommodation not to offer any parking and the four spaces for Mercy in Action will avoid transferring unmet parking demand onto residential streets.