SOMERSET Council has confirmed that the regeneration of Bridgwater Docks will be delivered by the deadline of March 2026 despite ‘stretched’ resources.

It follows nearly one year of speculation about the future of Bridgwater Docks, which was allocated £5.2 million of funding for the regeneration project in December 2023. It is one of 11 Town Deal projects in Bridgwater awarded a share of £23.2 million of central government investment.

Leader of Bridgwater Town Council, Brian Smedley, raised his concerns about the timeframe for Somerset Council to begin and complete the works by March 2026.

Speaking to the Bridgwater Mercury, he said: “There is an increasingly limited time to regenerate Bridgwater Docks. At the Town Council, we are looking at options to take on the site should Somerset Council be unable to complete the works.”

Bridgwater Docks have remained empty since 2021, when boats were instructed to leave as the Cana and River Trust’s lease expired. It was recently the location for the 'Fallen Moon' art installation. 

Brian said: “We don’t want this destination just to be an empty canal basin. We want to protect the heritage and culture of the venue.”

Cllr Kathy Pearce, Deputy Mayor and Deputy Council Leader, said: “Our focus is on getting the boats back into Bridgwater Docks. There’s nothing stopping this site being like Bristol or Portishead, with a bustling community around the Docks.”

In response to the concerns, a spokesperson for Somerset Council said: “The Bridgwater Docks project remains one of the key projects within the wider Bridgwater Town Deal and work has been continuing in looking at some of the current technical issues and developing options, particularly around the Newtown Lock area.”

“Resources have been stretched due in part to the huge amount of investment projects currently taking place in and around Bridgwater that in addition to the Town Deal, also include the successful levelling up funded scheme for the former Bridgwater Hospital, as well as Gravity including the current advanced manufacturing facility for Agratas that is underway.”

They added: “Additional support is being provided though for the Docks project and it is still the intention that significant regeneration of the area will be delivered by the March 2026 deadline.”

The spokesperson ended: “There will be further public engagement and consultation and currently we are working on a revised project delivery programme that will include opportunities for local people and key stakeholders to provide their comments and input. It is possible that some elements will be progressed more quickly than others.”