CONTROVERSIAL plans to transform Bridgwater's Eastover Post Office into a tanning salon have been recommended for approval by district council officials ahead of a crunch meeting.

The planning application is set to go before Sedgemoor District Council’s (SDC) development committee on Tuesday (June 5), and council officers say the plan should be given the green light.

The Eastover Post Office branch has been a subject of much debate since the plans were submitted in March.

Bridgwater Town Council strongly objected to the proposal, saying if approved the change of use will 'likely result in the loss of an essential service.’

“The change of use will result in a loss of retail space in a key secondary location for shopping and, in this case, likely result in the loss of an essential public service,” a spokesman for the council said.

“It will likely impact adversely on footfall in the Eastover area which was identified through this location as a Post Office, as a main drive.

“The proposal will see the introduction of another similar non retail use to that already in Eastover mitigating against retail footfall.”

Sedgemoor District Council’s development officer also objected to the plans back in April saying the district council was ‘disappointed’ as they don’t feel the plans fit in with their aim to create a secondary shopping area in Eastover.

Planning officer Dean Titchener said in his report the Post Office would cease to operate as a franchise from October, with notice having been given in 2017.

But in an unexpected twist the Post Office suddenly closed on May 4 after the company operating the branch ceased trading.

Bridgwater MP Ian Liddell Grainger said he was ‘livid’ at the way the situation had been handled and said it was ‘imperative’ the town’s Post Office remained.

Sedgemoor District Council placed the tanning salon plans on hold as district councillors wanted to conduct a site visit to see if it would be suitable for the premises to change from retail use to leisure use.

But in another twist, the Post Office suddenly reopened on May 9 after being closed for five days.

A spokesman for the Post Office said they were looking for a permanent postmaster to take over the branch.

District councillors visited the site on May 17 and will feedback on their findings at the meeting.In a report published before the meeting, SDC recommended the plans for approval.

“The change of use of the Post Office to a solarium is not considered to give rise to an unacceptable concentration of single uses within the Eastover secondary shopping frontage.

“As such the proposal is considered compliant with local planning policy and conditional planning permission is proposed to be granted.”

Alan Hurford, town clerk at Bridgwater Town Council, said: "We are disappointed that the plans have been recommended for approval but we recognise the constraints of planning policy. 

"It will not prevent us from going to the meeting and reiterating our concerns. 

"We will support the guys who have temporarily taken over the Post Office and hope it will become a permanent fixture."

The application will be decided upon at Sedgemoor District Council's development committee meeting to be held on Tuesday (June 5) at 9.30am in Bridgwater House.