Somerset Council is working to ensure a major regeneration project for Bridgwater is completed by the contractor within the next three weeks.
The Government-funded Celebration Mile scheme aims to enhance the visitor experience in key areas of the town and improve cycling and walking provision.
A key focus has been the Eastover area of the town and includes Angel Place and Clare Street. The scheme is being delivered by contractor Taylor Woodrow and aims to re-energise these areas by improving footfall and encouraging people to spend more time in the town centre. However, the completion date on Eastover has been pushed back several times by the contractor and Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Economic Development, Planning and Assets, Councillor Mike Rigby said he was “disappointed” at progress and the disruption traders and local people have encountered.
Councillor Rigby said:
This is an important scheme to improve the shopping experience and open up the area for street events, such as entertainment and markets.
We have always been fully committed to the concept, but I am very disappointed at how this has been delivered.
We understand there will be challenges with a job of this scale, but there doesn’t appear to have been sufficient contingency planning around these in terms of increasing the pace of work, and at the same time both the Council and public have been informed too late of delays, road closures and programme changes.
When you compare this with other recently completed council infrastructure projects the performance here is simply not good enough. We are extremely sorry for the delays and disruption caused to traders and local people – we are having discussions with the contractor about our dissatisfaction with the way this has been handled.
As well as making Eastover one-way, new wider pavements have been created to improve the public space using high quality paving materials, along with the addition of new street furniture, lighting and planters.
The completed project also forms an active travel route connecting the railway station to the Docks, which are in line for regeneration, also funded by the Town Deal.
These improvements go in tandem with new public art funded by the Town Deal – the Eastover Mural on the Indoor Market and the colourful brickwork project at the junction of Broadway and St John Street.
The contractor is scheduled to complete Eastover, by early October, and the rest of the scheme by mid-October but this is dependent on weather and other external factors.
Somerset Council is working hard to press for a clear completion date as soon as possible.
The final section of the works will be the introduction of a one-way system in East Quay and Salmon Parade which will not involve any construction, simply lines and signage. Resurfacing work scheduled for this section will now be done at a later date under the Council’s maintenance programme.
For information about ‘Celebration Mile’, visit Celebration Mile – Bridgwater Town Deal
For more information about the Bridgwater Town Deal, visit www.bridgwatertowndeal.co.uk.
