Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Fashion guru’s grand designs for building
LEADING West fashion designer Alice Temperley could open a flagship store in South Somerset.
Temperley London and a cafe bar called The Somerset could open in the former Gooch and Housego building in Ilminster if plans for the derelict town centre factory to be transformed into a number of shops, design studios and a cafe are approved.
The “unique, diverse and exciting” project would aim to attract customers from as far afield as London and Cornwall, planning documents recently submitted to South Somerset District Council state.
The prominent site has been predominantly derelict and unoccupied since 2005 when Gooch and Housego vacated the premises, with parts of the building deteriorating in the 16 years since.
The site was acquired in June 2020 by the current owners, who have ambitious plans for the future of the building.
Planning documents read: “The applicant is looking to renovate this historic and dominant town centre site to bring it back into use in a modern and sustainable form.
“The first phase would be to renovate 6,000sq ft to re-home the fashion brand Temperley London Ltd. along with a cafe bar - ‘The Somerset’ - to be opened to the general public once relevant permissions are approved.
“Our intentions for the remaining majority of the site are to create a unique, diverse and exciting mixed use commercial development that will attract customers and tourists from as far as Oxfordshire and London to Devon and Cornwall.”
Planning permission is being sought for a change of use of the building, and the council will consider the application over the coming months.