PLANS to transform a derelict hotel site into affordable homes for young people have been backed by the town council, despite councillors branding part of the design a ‘monstrosity’.

YMCA Somerset Coast submitted a planning application last year to build 23 affordable units, public access meeting rooms, a cafe and a sports hall on the former Highbridge Hotel site, in Huntspill Road, which has lain derelict after being devastated by two fires in six years.

In the original plans, YMCA Somerset Coast said they planned to rebuild the front of the building in the style of the former hotel, which councillors gave their backing to earlier this year.

But the developer’s new plans show the sports hall will now be clad with multi-coloured blocks, which one councillor said looked like ‘something out of Lego Land’.

Councillor Louise Parkin hit out at the plans and described the new sports hall as ‘hideous’ and ‘vile’.

“If we allow a monstrosity like this go ahead we’d be opening the floodgates to other people to do the same thing,” Cllr Parkin said. “It is hideous, it’s just vile, it would be a horrible building to have in the centre of Highbridge.”

Councillor Nick Tolley said he thinks the sports hall would look ‘garish’.

“The proposed building front looks great but the sports hall looks like something out of Lego Land,” Cllr Tolley said.

Speaking to the Weekly News after the meeting, Cllr Tolley added: “I would like the facade of the sports hall on the left of the hotel building to be externally blended as per the earlier plans to have a more subtle and sympathetic feel to the surrounding area.

“The present plans submitted show the sports hall to have a drastically different look and altogether garish look that, in my opinion, is not in keeping with the current architecture and would be an eyesore to residents and anybody driving through Highbridge.”

But Cllr Peter Burridge-Clayton defended the plans and said he would support them in principal but would object to the colour scheme.

“We have to bear in mind that this sports hall will be used by young people,” Cllr Burridge-Clayton said.

“I would support the application in principal but would object to the colour scheme on the sports hall.”

Councillor Andy Brewer said the developer’s changes to the sports hall could be seen as a ‘modern and vibrant’ addition to the community.

Despite their anger about the sports hall’s proposed colour scheme, councillors voted to support the development in principle but they strongly objected to the newly proposed colour scheme as they believe it will be detrimental to the visual amenity of the area.

The final decision rests with planning officers at Sedgemoor District Council.