Shepton Mallet cider mill plans new bridge over Garston Street

By Laura Linham 28th Aug 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 7 minutes ago

A new bridge carrying cider production pipes could be built across Garston Street in Shepton Mallet under plans submitted for Showerings Cider Mill. The proposed overhead gantry would link two production buildings on opposite sides of the street and support multiple pipes between them.

Planning application 2026/1628/FUL has been submitted to Somerset Council, with Hill Reading Architects preparing the planning and design statement. The documents say the structure is needed to support the current and future needs of the production business without requiring a major redevelopment of its existing buildings.

The proposal would create a new pipe support bridge and supporting frame spanning Garston Street. There is already a similar gantry crossing the same street around 30 metres away, and the new structure has been designed to match its appearance and materials.

Architects say copying the existing structure would help the new gantry sit comfortably within the industrial surroundings of the cider mill. Its scale, massing and design have also been developed to reflect the neighbouring factory buildings.

One existing tree would have to be removed to make way for the scheme. The planning statement says the tree is not protected by a Tree Preservation Order and is outside the conservation area.

The site itself is not within Shepton Mallet Conservation Area, although it sits close to its boundary and nearby listed buildings. The proposed gantry would be around 34 metres from the conservation area boundary and about 74 metres from the Grade II-listed buildings at 26, 26B and 27 Kilver Street.

Hill Reading Architects argues the scheme would cause no harm to either the conservation area or the setting of those listed buildings. The statement points to the established industrial character of the cider factory and the existing gantry already spanning Garston Street.

The site also falls within an area of high archaeological potential and Flood Zone 3, as well as the Somerset Levels and Moors Risk Area, a Source Protection Zone and an SSSI Impact Risk Zone. However, the architects say these constraints were not considered relevant to the proposed development following pre-application discussions with the local planning authority.

The planning statement acknowledges there could potentially be disturbance from noise or smell, but argues the new pipework would sit within an established industrial operation and would be unlikely to increase impacts to an unacceptable level. It also says pre-application advice identified no ecological concerns and that the proposal is exempt from Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.

The new gantry is intended to allow pipes to connect directly between the two separate cider production buildings. The architects say this would make more efficient use of the existing site while allowing the business to meet its present and future production needs.

The application is now awaiting a decision from Somerset Council. If approved, Garston Street would have two overhead pipe gantries spanning the road within around 30 metres of each other — a fairly unmistakable reminder that this particular corner of Shepton remains very much cider country.