Future looking bright for Bridgwater Carnival
Bridgwater is one of only two towns in Somerset to have received funding from the Government's towns fund
The future of the UK’s oldest carnival is looking bright as councillors committed millions of pounds to providing it with a better long-term base.
Bridgwater is one of 101 towns across the UK – and one of only two in Somerset – which has received funding from the government’s towns fund, with £22.6m being provided for projects designed to enhance the town centre and improve the town’s fortunes.
One of the 11 projects concerns safeguarding the future of the Bridgwater Carnival by upgrading its current production and storage space off the A38 Bristol Road.
Sedgemoor District Council’s executive committee has now officially committed £3m from the town deal towards the project, which will see improved facilities delivered over a two-year period to guarantee the future of the carnival.
The carnival’s current production base is located on Carnival Lane, a brownfield site sandwiched between St. John’s Cemetery, the Bristol to Exeter railway line and the Crypton Technology Business Park.
The existing workshops are “in a very poor condition”, with the lack of amenities “acting as a barrier to sustaining and maintaining volunteer commitment”.
Under the project, five new carnival sheds will be delivered with heating, lighting and running water, allowing local clubs to work on their carts in safety.
The new facility will “cement the carnival’s role in the community” and consolidate its existing partnership with Bridgwater and Taunton College through “a range of modern apprenticeship training and experiences”.
A total of £4.25m will be spent on the project, of which £3m will be allocated from the Bridgwater town deal, with the remainder coming from grants approved by the Somerset Community Foundation.
Council leader Duncan McGinty praised the project when the council’s executive committee met in Bridgwater on Wednesday morning (November 30).
He said: “What they the carnival clubs were using before securing this site was even worse.
“Moving this forward now firmly puts them on the map for continued, successful carnivals for many, many years to come.”
The council will now submit the business case for the carnival project to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) for final approval.
Provided approval is granted by March 2023, contractors will be appointed by the summer of next year, with work beginning on the access road and sewerage improvements after the 2023 carnival.
The final carnival buildings will be delivered before the 2024 carnival, though it is anticipated they will begin being actively used after this date.
Nathaniel Lucas, the council’s service manager for economic development, said in his written report: “These key milestones… reflect the need to manage the continued operation and access to the site for carnival clubs, especially over the main carnival season from October to November.
“The development programme ensures the project is delivered by September 2024, although clubs are unlikely to move into the new units until after the 2024 carnival procession.”