New community hub cost £400k, council reveals

The refurbishment of a former council headquarters cost £400,000, it has been revealed.

West Somerset House, on Killick Way in Williton, Somerset, reopened to the public on 25 June after work to bring the village library, registration service and a children's centre under one roof.

Somerset Council has now confirmed the cost of the work and blamed delays in its reopening on "a potential fire risk" which required additional improvements.

A spokesperson said: "The need for further works was identified to deal with a potential fire risk and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations."

West Somerset House served as the headquarters of West Somerset Council until its abolition in April 2019, and the joint headquarters of Somerset West and Taunton Council until its own abolition in April 2023.

Since Somerset Council officially took over, no in-person meetings have been held there, with all meetings of its planning committee west taking place in Taunton and being live streamed.

The decision to remodel the building was taken in March 2024 and it had been closed since Christmas Eve 2024.

In addition to selling off the former library and children's centre, the council also intends to dispose of Beckett House on Bridge Street, which officers stated in March 2024 had been running at a loss, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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