Work has begun at the site of what was once an open air slaughter house on the fringes of Westfield.

The Shambles site in Radstock which will see demolition of the old buildings behind the existing front facades to create new residential dwellings and office space.

After years of planning negotiations the new development will retain the existing front street-facing facades of the building, considered to be an integral part of Radstock's heritage and the 'gateway' to Westfield, and have the 1980s shop fronts removed to revert to the farm cottage fronts of the early 1800s.

The new Shambles will provide two two-bedroom cottages, eight flats including some with designated home/work spaces, and one commercial unit on the ground floor overlooking Co-op Funeralcare.

The Shambles' owner and builder, Dave Fishlock, is relieved to get started. "It has been a long and frustrating process and we eventually received final sign-off with B&NES planning just before Christmas. Starting a property development during a pandemic and lockdown with unpredictable shortages of materials and increasing prices presents yet another challenge, but we will persevere," he commented.

Dave was determined to keep traffic disruption to a minimum and avoid the lengthy lane closure on Wells Hill required for the original scheme of support for the facades. Working with local structural engineer, David Franklin, the scheme was redesigned to support the roadside façade from inside the property thereby keeping the road open and traffic moving for the majority of the build.

"The thought of closing a lane on the main A367 into Radstock was a nightmare and one we worked hard to avoid. Hopefully, this way there will be minimum disruption to road users and we can keep everyone moving during the build", he added.

Note: "Shambles" originated as a term for an open-air slaughterhouse and meat market, or a site where butchers prepared animals for consumption. This site was historically a farm and later a butcher's shop, hence The Shambles name.