AMBITIOUS plans to turn the former glassworks in Nailsea into a World Heritage Site have been whole-heartedly backed by councillors.

Nailsea Town Council voted unanimously in favour of progressing with the first phase of scheme, which could cost £250,000-£300,000.

The authority is planning to bury the archaeology on the site, which sits at the end of the town’s High Street, but put up information boards with details about the remains underneath and turn the area into a public open space.

The scheme will protect the archaeology from damage and enable it to be unearthed in the future when there is better technology to do it.

If successful in gaining the status from UNESCO, the glassworks would be listed alongside other World Heritage Sites including the Great Barrier Reef and Egypt’s pyramids.

Speaking at a Nailsea Town Council meeting on February 12, Cllr Neil Middleton said: “I utterly support going ahead with it.”

Town council chairman Clare Hunt also praised clerk Ian Morrell for his years of hard work on the project.

She said: “I want to thank you for all the work you’ve done. You’ve moved mountains.

“I really do commend you in this because it’s not an easy thing to try to manage – a world heritage site in phases.

“It’s a very important thing we are trying to do.”

The glassworks has been in a poor condition for many years and the council is desperate to restore it and make it more accessible.

The scheme will help to preserve the area’s rich history and also provide more green space for residents. The authority is now investigating possible funding sources including the town council’s reserves and borrowing from the Public Works Loans Board.