IF you’re looking for a quirky place to holiday in rural Somerset, your choices just got a little more exciting.

STORY BY DANIEL MUMBY.

Somerset Council has approved proposals to turn a former nuclear bunker on the Quantock Hills into a holiday let.

Neil McCallum's plans will allow tourists to live underground for short periods in a reminder of Britain’s role in the Cold War.

The site could be open to tourists within the next 12 months.

The bunker lies on Kilton Road in the village of Holford, off the A39 between Bridgwater and Williton.

All that is currently visible is a small field with what appears to be a chimney sticking out of the ground, next to a shepherd’s hut and a small area for car parking.

The bunker, with 14 sq m of space inside, is one of 1,500 constructed in the 1950s to provide emergency shelter in the event of a nuclear war.

Most of the sites were decommissioned in the late-1960s, though some remained in active use until the USSR’s collapse in 1991.

Mr McCallum intends to expose the bunker on the northern and western sides and partially extend it, installing solar panels to provide energy for heating and lighting.

It will be marketed to walkers and cyclists wishing to visit the Quantocks or the West Somerset Coast Path.

A spokesman for Shattock Associates, representing Mr McCallum, said: “The concealed bunker will be accessed via a new stair built within the proposed lightwell.

“On the plot of land that the bunker occupies, a parking and turning area will be created for a single car.

“The bunker will be used as a retreat by the applicant, but will also be available to rent by like-minded holiday-makers.”

It will be able to accommodate two people on single fold-down beds, and will include a kitchen, shower room with toilet and patio area.

The council's planning case officer said: “On balance, it is considered that the proposal would enhance the accessibility and appreciation of the site and provides a viable use for the nuclear bunker.

“Given the scale of the proposal and the current use of the site, it is considered that there would no significant impact upon highways or the visual amenity of the area.”