Bridgwater Carnival Redevelopment Programme Announced

Information has been released today about a brand new £4.25 million redevelopment of the Bristol Road carnival site.

The project has been successful in securing 2 grants. Firstly, a £1.25m grant from the Hinkley Point C’s Community Fund, administered by Somerset Community Foundation followed by a £3m award for Phase 1 of the project which was sanctioned by the government as part of Bridgwater’s Town Deal funding programme.

Both these grants were subject to planning permission which was approved by Somerset Council on Monday 17 April. More information on the planning application can be found here.

Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival’s Project Director said “It has been a long process to get to this stage but, at last, we are now well on the way towards making huge improvements to our Bristol Road site for the benefit of our carnival clubs and the community.” He continued “This funding will enable us to enhance the access from Bristol Road, remove the risk of site flooding and, in the first phase, construct five new sheds for clubs and the committee. We are also purchasing the freehold of the site from Bridgwater Town Council which will provide security of tenure and improve parking for club members, which has been much needed in recent years.”

Justin Sargent, Chief Executive at Somerset Community Foundation said: “The Hinkley Point C Community Fund Awards Panel recognised the incredible role that Carnival plays in Bridgwater and the surrounding area, with thousands of people actively involved throughout the year. Not only is it an important cultural event, collectively the clubs provide opportunities for people of all ages to learn skills, feel connected with their community and have a lot of fun. This is by some distance the largest grant we have ever awarded, but in many ways the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival is, by some distance, the largest community organisation we have encountered in Somerset.”

The final stages of the project are now in place reviewing designs and costings with plans for construction to commence after the 2023 carnival season.