A huge bid for around £10 million of Government funding to regenerate Highbridge has been submitted, it has been revealed this week.
The bid from local district councils has been made through the Government’s ‘Levelling up Fund’ and a decision on whether Highbridge gets the cash injection is due by this autumn.
Projects being considered in Highbridge are understood to include modernising Highbridge town centre with improvements in Market Street and Bank Street, enhancing the facilities at Apex Park, improving children’s play areas and community sports facilities, upgrading Morland Community Hall, building new modern homes, launching a new cycle path between Burnham and Highbridge, plus improving flood defences.
The overall £20m bid, which includes planned upgrades to Shepton Mallet and Highbridge, aims to re-vitalise both towns, providing a new identity that supports new employment, housing and upgraded community facilities. The money will also aim to boost tourism in the Mendips around Cheddar and Wells.
The plans were discussed during a meeting of Burnham and Highbridge Town Council this week.
Cllr Phil Harvey said a bid for £20m to the fund has been made for the Wells Constituency by Sedgemoor District Council and Mendip District Council, which includes a number of projects for Highbridge regeneration. He estimates that roughly half of the £20m bid is earmarked for Highbridge.
In addition, a bid for approximately £400,000 has been made by Sedgemoor to the Government’s ‘Community Renewal Fund’ to support the implementation of the bid.
Cllr Harvey said after this week’s meeting: “Since I’ve been a Sedgemoor councillor, I’ve been trying to raise the needs of Burnham and, in particular, Highbridge. Although unsuccessful in getting money for Highbridge included specifically in the 2020/21 budget, raising the issue resulted in Sedgemoor setting up a Highbridge regeneration working party and taking the opportunities to bid for Government funds.”
“The fact that we had a Neighbourhood Plan in which regeneration was one of the focuses of the Highbridge chapter was acknowledged by officers to be a significant factor in providing the justification and policy basis for the bids.”
Cllr Janet Keen told this week’s Town Council meeting she also wants to see some of the funding go towards helping struggling unemployed people in Highbridge increase their skills and therefore, boost employment opportunities in the town.
Sedgemoor District Council is planning extensive public consultation on various aspects of the plans to reach out to residents to find out what they want from Highbridge’s regeneration.
