The expansion of Minehead’s popular Arkade arcade has received official approval for a second time, correcting a procedural error made by planning officers last year.
Situated on Warren Road near Minehead’s heritage railway station, the Arkade is renowned for hosting the UK’s largest pay-to-play classic pinball machine collection, as highlighted by Visit Exmoor.
Owned and operated by Marcus Kravis, a Liberal Democrat councillor representing the neighboring Dunster division alongside his partner Cara Strom, the business sought permission in March 2025 to expand by demolishing the adjacent disused public toilets. These toilets, once voted “the second most hated building in Minehead,” had been closed for several years.
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Initially approved in December 2025, the plans breached Somerset Council’s constitution, which mandates that all planning applications involving serving councillors or officers be decided openly by the relevant committee to maintain transparency. This necessitated a formal reconsideration by the council’s planning committee west, responsible for major applications in the former Somerset West and Taunton area.
After review, the committee has now unanimously endorsed the proposals, sidestepping a potential costly legal challenge from third parties. The original public toilets, which closed in 2017 under West Somerset Council, were briefly reopened under license by the Arkade in 2018 and again in 2020 before closing permanently.
The approved plan will level the floor of the former ladies’ toilets to create additional arcade space, while converting the former gentlemen’s toilets into storage for equipment and supplies. Marcus Kravis, who acknowledged the council’s earlier “regrettable” error, addressed the committee during its meeting in Taunton on January 27.
He explained, “The toilets haven’t been used since 2020 and were boarded up in 2022. This project will bring previously unused space into productive use, expanding the arcade ground floor. The structure, built in 1979, resembles an industrial building more than a vibrant seafront attraction, and despite efforts to enhance it, this expansion is a step forward.”
He also noted the long-term potential to reopen the former disabled toilets with an internal entrance from the arcade, creating improved facilities for patrons dependent on future funding.
Local councillor Andrew Hadley, whose Minehead division includes the site, expressed regret that the toilets could not be restored for public use. “The community and visitors have voiced the need for public toilets, especially in summer,” he said. “But these facilities have been out of commission for years and, in my view, the access steps are unsafe.”
Conservative councillor Steven Pugsley of Dulverton and Exmoor supported the decision, emphasizing that the council had corrected its previous mistake by bringing the application before the committee.
The planning committee west concluded its deliberations swiftly, unanimously approving the expansion after less than thirty minutes of discussion.