Sedgemoor District Council submits proposals for regeneration projects in Bridgwater

Bridgwater was selected by the government in September 2019 as one of 101 towns across the UK to benefit from its £3.6bn towns fund.

The government has already provided £750,000 to kick-start the Northgate regeneration scheme on Mount Street, including improvements to the nearby Brewery Field green space.

Sedgemoor District Council has now submitted formal proposals to the government for a further 11 projects, with the aim of attracting more than £24M towards town centre regeneration efforts.

The towns fund aims to “level up” town centres by delivering projects which will “boost businesses, improve infrastructure, encourage enterprise and bring communities together.”

Each town on the list – including Bridgwater and Glastonbury in Somerset – will receive up to £25M from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The council submitted its projects to the government on January 29, but the full list was only made public on February 26.

Here’s the full list of 11 projects which are included in the Bridgwater town investment plan (TIP):

• Bridgwater Tidal Barrier: the proposed barrier near Chilton Trinity will provide better flood protection to at least 11,300 properties and 1,500 businesses. Plans for the barrier were submitted to the government in December 2019, but no decision date has yet been set. The Environment Agency and the council both hope that the barrier can be operational by 2024

• Dunball junction improvements: the Dunball roundabout links the M5 at Junction 23 with the town centre via the A38 Bristol Road. High levels of congestion at the roundabout have prevented new sites for housing and employment being unlocked. The council has agreed to borrow up to £4.7M to deliver improvements, and part of the town fund will go towards this upgrade
• Improved pedestrian and cycling facilities: efforts to enhance Bridgwater’s pedestrian and cycling network have been ongoing for many years, with Somerset County Council running The Bridgwater Way website to provide real-time information on routes. The district council will build upon this, connecting key employment areas in the town and working with EDF Energy to upgrade existing routes, using match funding from the Hinkley Point C construction
• Delivery of the Celebration Mile: the Celebration Mile stretches from the historic docks to Bridgwater railway station. The route has been earmarked for improvements to its appearance and pedestrian access since 2019, with £6M being committed by the council in 2014. The council will use the new funding to create “new covid-safe places and spaces” along the route, as well as running events to promote local businesses

• Restoration of the historic docks: the docks near Northgate are a valuable part of Bridgwater’s history, linking the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal to the River Parrett. The council will undertake an “exciting restoration” of the entire area, creating “a new leisure and tourism destination” for the town

• Bridgwater Arts Centre upgrade: the arts centre on Castle Street will celebrates its 75th birthday in October this year, and provides an essential outlet for local artists, singers and actors. The council will work with the centre to make the venue more flexible, providing a “covid-safe environment” for artists and future cultural events
• Town Hall and theatre improvements: the Town Hall on High Street dates back to 1865, and hosts annual carnival concerns as well as theatrical productions and concerns at its auditorium. The council intends to “transform this cultural facility for a post-covid future”, including improved access for disabled users and providing more office and meeting spaces for community and social enterprises

• The Engine Room 2.0: The Engine Room on High Street is the home of Somerset Film, providing a wide range of valuable facilities for budding creatives from across the wider Bridgwater area. The council wants to increase the capacity of the facility’s community media centre to “engage people with digital art and media, and enhance people’s skills”
• ‘Step Up’ flexible business and enterprise hub: the councils wants to create a new hub in the town centre to allow small businesses to hold taster events and host ‘pop-up’ shops. This is designed to give new businesses a platform from which they can trial new ideas and build a customer base before taking on a more permanent base within the high street
• Bridgwater Carnival production space: Bridgwater takes great pride in its annual carnival, with much of the associated equipment being stored in warehouses off the A38 Bristol Road when it’s not being used. The council wants to improve and develop this space to “future-proof and enhance Carnival events for the post-covid recovery”

• Town wardens and event ambassadors: Bridgwater town centre has seen numerous incidents of anti-social behaviour in recent years; in 2019, the Cornhill section saw the most reports for anti-social behaviour in the entire Avon and Somerset Constabulary operational area. To counteract this, the council will be investing in new wardens and ambassadors to provide a “visible community support presence” and “build confidence for visitors”

The TIP was developed by the Bridgwater Town Deal Board, comprising representatives from the county, district and county councils, EDF Energy, the YMCA, Bridgwater and Taunton College, the Chamber of Commerce and local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger (among others).

In a joint statement, district council leader Duncan McGinty and board chair Dr Fiona McMillan said the proposals offered “a significant ray of hope” in the face of the pandemic and the resulting recession.

They said: “We are proposing select investment that will unlock future growth by protecting the whole area from tidal flooding and resolving traffic congestion on the outskirts of town.

“But the real focus of our plan is geared towards future-proofing the social, cultural and economic recovery of our town centre.

“It is a plan that will broaden and diversify what the town has to offer, making the town centre more family-friendly and walkable.

“It will galvanise our cultural programme and historic venues, making it exciting and inviting for residents and visitors, and will support our businesses to recover.

“This is a bold plan and much hard work remains to realise our ambitions.”

The government provided £750,000 in advance in late-2020 as “accelerator funding” to kickstart work at the Northgate site, which will eventually include a new seven-screen cinema, gym, bowling alley and restaurants.

Of this, £150,000 was earmarked to improvements to Brewery Field, with the council approving designs for the site’s revamping in late-February.

The council hopes these projects will help to unlock more than £160M of additional investment in the town from both the public and private sector.

Town councillor Mick Lerry, who sits on the town deal board, said the projects would make a big difference to the town’s future.

He said: “We are pleased with the funding that has been made available to complete infrastructure projects within the town centre.

“This will be an opportunity to save Bridgwater Docks for the community, enhance the Bridgwater Arts Centre in its 75th anniversary year, upgrade the Town Hall as a vibrant community hub, support Carnival activities, complete the Celebration Mile and ease traffic congestion.

“The importance of the Bridgwater TIP is to repair and aid recovery from both the pandemic and the economic downturn.

“Both have had an impact on trade, commerce and leisure within Bridgwater, it will be important to make sure that projects identified will help to animate and support the recovery for the town centre.”

The government is expected to approve the final projects by the summer, with the funding being released over the next five years.