More money will be provided to improve a green space in Somerset after councilors vote to increase the project’s budget by 50 percent.
Sedgemoor District Council is continuing its Northgate regeneration program, delivering a new cinema, bowling alley, gym and restaurants in downtown Bridgwater by the end of 2022.
As part of the regeneration program, the Brewery Field green space near the site will be redeveloped with new play equipment and better access for cyclists and pedestrians.
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The council has now agreed in principle to allocate an additional £ 150,000 for this aspect of regeneration – a 50% increase from the £ 300,000 which has already been set aside.
Councilor Mark Healey, portfolio holder for business and asset management, defended the increase in funding at a board executive committee meeting in Bridgwater on Wednesday morning (July 14).
He said: “This is the last piece of the puzzle that will improve the Northgate project as a whole.
View of the Northgate site in Bridgwater with Brewery Field in the background (Image: Sedgemoor District Council)
“It provides a place of health and well-being that people can visit before or after visiting the site.
“It shows the locals that we are a board that can look to the future. It improves our business acumen and enables Bridgwater to grow.”
A total of £ 300,000 was initially allocated for improvements to Brewery Field, split evenly between ‘accelerator funding’ from the government’s cities fund and ‘cost of congestion’ grants.
Northgate project manager Stuart Martin said improvements on the ground had “always had to wait in the background” as the board sought to finalize costs for the main project.
Entrepreneur Willmott Dixon initially cited nearly £ 500,000 to make the improvements the public requested during the council consultation – but Mr Martin and his team were able to negotiate that up to £ 420,000.
By accepting a revised budget of £ 450,000, all of the original elements of the program can be retained – including a large number of new trees,
He said in his written report: “This will fund a major downtown park that will provide a high quality facility in the downtown area for all Bridgwater residents and visitors to enjoy.
“Brewery Field has been an unloved and underused green space, but these upgrades will create an important green lung in the city that will further serve as an educational center for Northgate Primary School.”
Design of improvements to Brewery Field near the Northgate site in downtown Bridgwater (Image: Sedgemoor District Council)
The entire Northgate program has a budget of up to £ 15million, with a fixed price of £ 11.9million for the main construction on Mount Street.
Council Chief Duncan McGinty said: “It’s a really exciting prospect, given that we ended up in good financial shape last year.
“We can do this [Brewery Field] a really special area in the center of Bridgwater. I can’t wait to see this finished and filled. “
Councilor Brian Smedley, who heads the Labor opposition group on the council, added: “This is a prestigious project that we all want to see succeed.
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“It’s at the heart of a community that a lot of salons feature on the site. We’re not in bad shape financially and we can support that.”
The additional funding was approved in principle unanimously by the executive, with the full board due to give its final approval later in the summer.
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-15 04:00:00
