Wells businessman wants to turn office into home so he can ‘spend more time with the kids’

A Wells industrial site could soon be home to… well, a home – if plans from its owner get the go-ahead.
Mr Wilmott, who owns a vehicle recovery business based on Southover Road, has submitted a planning application to Somerset Council to convert an empty office building into a house for his family.
He says moving onto the site will help him keep a closer eye on the business, improve security, and crucially, spend more time with his children — who attend school in Wells.
"I'm undertaking this project to create a family home close to my two businesses for several important reasons," Mr Wilmott said in a statement. "Living locally would allow me to spend more quality family time with them."
The application, submitted by Hill Reading Architects, also argues the move would benefit his business by allowing him to respond faster to call-outs and manage the site more efficiently.
And there's a housing twist too — because if the plans are approved, Mr Wilmott says he'll rent out his current home in Street, "thereby providing another family with much-needed housing".
The building earmarked for redevelopment is currently vacant. Under the plans, it would be extended and given a garden and parking spaces.
Somerset Council will now consider the proposal. To view the full plans or have your say, visit somerset.gov.uk and search application reference 2025/1186/FUL.
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