First stage of doing something about the derelict Glassworks site in Nailsea

A TEAM of experts is being appointed to draw up plans to turn Nailsea's derelict Glassworks site into a community park and heritage site.

Nailsea Town Council has earmarked up to £50,000 to appoint a professionals to draw up a scheme to breathe new life into the High Street site – described by residents as the town's 'biggest grotspot.'

Councillors have enlisted the services of landscape architect, conservation architect, a quantity surveyor and a structural engineer to work on the plans which they hope will be ready by early summer.

The council will then decide whether a development of the site is feasible and investigate different sources of funding.

The site has laid vacant and fallen into a state of disrepair over the years, becoming a dumping ground for litter  and a breeding ground for colonies of rats.

Work has been carried out in the past to tidy up the area, clearing rubbish and cutting grassed areas which sits opposite Tesco supermarket.

Proposals for the Glassworks, which is jointly owned by North Somerset Council and Hobbs Holdings, were previously n the process of being drawn up in conjunction with Edward Ware Homes.

It had been hoped to develop the land into a mix of offices, homes and shops, but as a result of the current economic climate, the plans were shelved.

Archaeological investigations carried out at the Glassworks revealed the partially buried remains of a brick cone which once housed a furnace used for making glass with associated airways, storage rooms and other structures below ground.

Concerns have been mounting over the few years that the site, which has been listed as a scheduled ancient monument by English Heritage, will continue to fall into disrepair.

The concerns about the future of the site were highlighted in the parish plan document, prepared by Nailsea Town Council, with residents naming the Glassworks site as the town's biggest grot spot.

The aim of the scheme is to enclose and secure the archaeology of the site while perhaps exposing other historic elements.

This could be done by introducing special planting to outline structures which once stood on the site parts of the site or by installing special interpretation boards and sculptures.

Seats and picnic areas could also be introduced at the site and it is hoped it could be used by schoolchildren for educational visits.

Nailsea Town Council clerk, Ian Morrell, said: "We need to produce costed designs for the Glassworks.

"We want it to be an area of open space which is accessible to the public and at the same time be able to explain the history of the site and the heritage of the land.

"We hope that the plans will be ready by the middle of the year and then councillors will have to decide whether it is feasible to proceed with a scheme."

It is hoped that once a plan is drawn up for the site, funding for the work could be sought from different funding bodies, such as the Lottery.

Match funding could also be allocated by the town council.

The Glassworks, in its time regarded as one of the most significant glassworks in the UK, was established in 1788 and operated until 1873.

It produced mostly bottles and window glass and was the town's biggest employer, but after it closed most of the skilled workers moved away and Nailsea reverted to a largely agricultural community.