Industrial units destroyed by fire could be rebuilt

Industrial units destroyed in a large fire in Somerset could soon be rebuilt.

Smoke was visible for miles when the fire broke out at Haydon Industrial Estate near Radstock in March 2025, destroying a spray painting workshop and an MOT centre.

Everyone on site was safely evacuated, with one person taken to hospital.

A year on, plans have been submitted to Bath and North East Somerset Council to rebuild the units "like-for-like".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), two near identical planning applications have been submitted, which state the buildings have been designed to "replicate the footprint, scale, height and general appearance of the commercial" units that previously occupied the site.

"The intention is therefore to reinstate the established built form within the industrial estate rather than introduce a new or materially different form of development," it said.

It also said debris left over by the fire will be removed from the site by a "specialist waste contractor" in line with health and safety requirements.

At the height of the fire, a total of 24 breathing apparatuses were being used by crews from both Avon Fire and Rescue Service and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

The paint spraying business has since reopened in Somerton.

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