WORK has begun on a £16 million leisure project in Bridgwater town centre.

The Northgate Yard development will feature a seven-screen cinema, eight-lane bowling alley and sports bar, as well as multiple restaurants.

It is due for completion in October 2022.

The scheme will also include outdoor meeting places, while the adjacent green space, Brewery Field, will be enhanced with an outdoor children’s play area and parkland with a pond and landscaped planting.

The scheme has been funded, devised and led by Sedgemoor District Council.

Council leader Cllr Duncan McGinty said: "This is a landmark moment for our town.

"This development will bring first-class entertainment and leisure facilities to local people and visitors.

"It’s been a pleasure to work with the local community to devise this development and to deliver a much wanted and needed entertainment hub for people of all ages."

The state of the art seven-screen cinema, operated by Scott Cinemas, will provide year-round entertainment for all ages and tastes with separate screens offering a luxury studio experience with sofa seating and reclining seats.

The ten-pin bowling alley, operated by regional company Allstars, will entertain families and groups with eight lanes of bowling and sports bar facilities.

Northgate Yard is the culmination of many years of planning for a central entertainment and dining hub for Bridgwater.

Led by Sedgemoor District Council, Northgate Yard has been conceived with the local community and local economy at its heart.

The council has worked closely with the community to create and deliver a vision reflecting what the people of Bridgwater want to see.

Northgate Yard, Bridgwater, Somerset is due for completion in October 2022. The contractor for the development is Willmott Dixon.