EXCITING plans to revamp Nailsea's dilapidated Glassworks could be put forward by councillors - in a bid to chivvy up its owners to hurry

EXCITING plans to revamp Nailsea's dilapidated Glassworks could be put forward by councillors - in a bid to chivvy up its owners to hurry up and develop the site.Nailsea Town Council is to consider whether to draw up its own set of plans for the historic High Street site in a bid to press its owners - North Somerset Council and businessman Jeremy Hobbs - to move forward with developing it themselves.The idea to draw up a set of plans comes from Nailsea Town Centre Working Party which says it is fed up at the lack of progress to develop the site. North Somerset Council has already paid consultants to draw up an options assessment for it.The study revealed 11 possible options including the creation of a community park.Nailsea councillor and town centre working party member, Rod Lees, said: "We have asked questions about the future of the Glassworks but it has been intimated that there is little progress. "Rather than sit back and do nothing about the current state of the site, why not put down some plans and open up the debate? Clearly there will be a minimum expenditure to do this, but it seems a sensible option."I feel that the council has a responsibility to the town to do something with this historic site rather than just let it fall into rack and ruin."Mr Hobbs, of Hobbs Holdings, has also put forward plans to develop the Glassworks - a scheduled ancient monument - into a mix of homes, shops and social housing.But these have been held up as a result of negotiations with English Heritage.The Glassworks was opened by John Lucas in the late 18th century and became Nailsea's biggest employer.By the late 1830s it had expanded to become the fourth largest in the country, but closed in 1874 due to dwindling coal supplies.Nailsea Town Council planning and environment committee is due to discuss the moves to submit an application at a meeting tonight (Wed).