Axminster Nub News aims to be supportive to every element of the community from businesses, shops and people, to charities, clubs and sports organisations.

We will be profiling some of these local businesses and groups regularly in a feature called 'Up Close', and this week Nub News' Francesca Evans meets with the team from Axminster Property.

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The reopening of Trinity House marks a new beginning for Axminster - that's the hope of the local business behind its impressive refurbishment.

When the former Trinity House department store and café closed down in 2019, there were fears it would stand empty for some time.

Such a prominent building left closed and falling into disrepair could have been a disaster for the high street and local businessman Ian Styles said he was "mortified" at the prospect.

Fortunately, he recognised this landmark building had potential to kick-start a transformation of the town centre and, in January 2020, Mr Styles announced his company Axminster Property had purchased Trinity House.

The business unveiled plans to split the the former department store into separate retail and office units, and it soon proved that the future of Trinity was in safe hands, with work quickly getting underway.

The building was engulfed in scaffolding for most of 2020 as the Axminster Property team - which has doubled in size over the past year - got to work restoring this town centre gem to its former glory, undeterred by the global pandemic that gripped the world around them.

With renovations still underway, women's clothing store Lou La Belle became the first unit to open in June, soon followed by The Crafty Hobbit next door.

Then it was announced that the popular Community Waffle House would be taking over the whole first floor of the building, eventually opening last week following much-anticipation from the local community.

Ahead of Waffle's grand opening, Mr Styles and Axminster Property's senior manager, Kelly Apps, gave me a sneak preview and a full tour of the "new Trinity", as they described it.

The two separate ends of Trinity House were built in 1820 and, 100 years later, a steel-framed construction was built in the centre to join all three together as the building we recognise today.

Mr Styles commented: "It's surprising how quickly an empty building can fall into disrepair and some parts were in a pretty poor state when we started work. There was material of three separate roofs above the top floor - if Trinity House was ever to have caught fire, I'm sure it would have burnt for days."

Axminster Property has practically stripped the building from head to toe, discovering hidden staircases, stained glass and even hidden rooms along the way.

They have modernised and made the building more energy efficient - with a new roof, wiring, plumbing and insulation - but the team has also been sensitive to the building's original features and taken much inspiration from 1940s photographs, including the multi-faceted shop frontages with curved blinds and scroll details.

As the scaffolding started coming down earlier this year, there was no doubt that everything was being finished to the highest standard possible - and that quality of workmanship is the hallmark of Axminster Property.

Mr Styles commented: "We let most of the units at Trinity during lockdown because tenants recognise the support and quality we provide. We help investors to find the right building and good, long-lasting tenants... we help businesses get started by creating a high-quality space for them, and work with them to build on their vision.

"We can provide a good yield for landlords with affordable rents for tenants and we maintain good relationships with our tenants, partly down to the high standard of our properties."

Axminster Property has worked closely with the team at the Community Waffle House to create a bespoke space for the successful not-for-profit.

The first floor of Trinity has been given a new lease of life, with lowered ceilings removed and huge windows previously covered up now unveiled to reveal views across Trinity Square and the Minster Green.

Modern artwork by Ricky Romain and Heather White adorns the entrance hall downstairs and there's even plans for a mural on the exterior side wall of the building, if planning permission is forthcoming.

The bright and airy cafe has been fitted with handmade wooden counters and and bars, modern light fittings, and is fully accessible with a lift and plenty of space for prams and wheelchairs.

But there is still a glimpse of the past, with a window in the ceiling of the 'Waffle Work' area revealing the 1940s bedrooms discovered on the top floor.

Speaking at the opening last week, Mr Styles said: "It's been a joy to work on this project. Meeting the guys from Waffle has been very special for me; they have taught me a tremendous amount about things I had not thought about before.

"Waffle first came to see us about a smaller unit but it did not take us long to realise we could really work together to make this bigger space something very special under their vision and design."

Work now continues to create a soft play area for children at the far end of the new Waffle House, as well as two more retail units on the ground floor, one of which I'm told will make use of Trinity's expansive rabbit warren of a cellar - but that's the only clue they would give me!

And even when the 'new Trinity' is finally complete, there are no plans to stop.

Mr Styles says the COVID-19 pandemic has given "new hope" to Axminster and other small towns, as shoppers return to their local high streets and support independent businesses - an opportunity to give Axminster its 'raison d'être' and create sustainable employment for the Axe Valley.

"That's our wish and we are not just going to stop at this juncture, but work on new plans to make Axminster a very special place," he said.

At our meeting ahead of Waffle's opening, Mr Styles spoke passionately about his vision for the town, which he hopes Axminster Property can work on with the town council.

His ambitious vision includes improving the quality of retail outlets and encouraging more to invest in commercial properties to convert and renovate old shops and empty buildings.

Mr Styles also hopes a one-way system could be implemented around Axminster to take heavy good vehicles out of the town centre, as well as creating wider pavements and more pedestrianisation for improved accessibility.

He hopes Axminster can become a greener and more sustainable destination, and suggested the installation of electric car charging points will help bring more people into the town and boost the local economy.

"We have a lot of big ideas for Axminster's future", he said.

"Currently we're a conduit for A35, A305 or M5 to get to the coast road and we should not be. We want to create a buzz around the town and a busy high street, similar to Bridport or Honiton; create a real reason to visit Axminster.

"The town could turn and change in this moment in time. We hope our work at Trinity will help spur that on."