Burnham and Highbridge Town Council is to spend up to £20,000 on getting an external consultant to draw up plans for the regeneration of parts of Burnham-On-Sea town centre.
Councillors have voted in favour of approving the spending at their latest meeting and will be starting the work during 2018.
“The Town Council wants to take forward several regeneration projects that have been discussed with Sedgemoor District Council,” Town Council Clerk Tatiana Cant told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“We’re keen to identify various funding sources for the projects, such as the Hinkley Point community fund and Coastal Communities Fund.”
She added: “Councillors have given the go-ahead for £20,000 of funding so we can get in an external consultant – who will be an expert in their field – to work on the plans.”
The Town Clerk added: “Some of the money will also go towards a public consultation phase to enable the council to get feedback from residents on the projects.”
The redevelopment of Burnham-On-Sea’s former job centre, pictured above, is among the possible projects.
The building, at the junction of Burnham High Street and Regent Street, has been vacant since the job centre closed in March 2008. The Department for Work and Pensions vacated it on 31st January 2009 and handed the building over to Telereal Trillium.
The lease for the premises expires in a year’s time on 31st December 2018. Although the lease is still in the name of the Secretary of State, it is ‘virtually assigned’ to Telereal Trillium. the building is considered to be in a good location for redevelopment.
Burnham-On-Sea’s Learning Centre in Princess Street, which closed this week, could also be earmarked for regeneration under the projects.
It’s also understood that the refurbishment of Burnham’s Princess Theatre is another project under potential consideration – with new interior and exterior modernisation being proposed.
