A family-owned bakery in Somersham looks set to be re-developed into new housing under plans submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council.

The Bonnett family applied for permission to turn a series of outbuildings and a bakery in High Street into six new homes and a shop.

According to planning documents submitted to the council, the Bonnett family has owned the site, parts of which are Grade II listed, since 1803 and, at its height, employed 35 people, making cakes and confectionary for a network of shops and trade customers around Cambridgeshire.

The Bonnett family told the council: “Having built up the family business for many years, the owner of the bakery has chosen to close down the company after many successful years providing a valuable service and form of employment for the community.

“With the influx of larger national chains such as Tesco in Somersham and the surrounding area, it is very difficult for smaller independent stores to compete.”

A number of outbuildings on the site have been used in the past for storage of ingredients and for making products and applicant told the district council that it was keen to see the buildings regenerated so as to prevent them from becoming “derelict and disused”.

Late last month, the district council’s development management panel granted planning permission for the development, despite concerns raised by Somersham Parish Council.

And, this week, the council’s head of development, Andy Moffat, granted consent for changes to be made to the part of the development that is listed.