Bridgwater Carnival base upgrade plans approved by council

The event returned last year after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic

Plans to upgrade the base of operations for Europe's largest illuminated carnival have been approved.

Bridgwater Carnival's production sheds are to benefit from the £23.2m national government Towns Fund project.

The plan includes replacing the existing sheds with 14 new ones that will have heating, lighting and running water.

Somerset Council has granted the planning permission with work set to go ahead after this year's event.

A total of 140 parking spaces will be provided on the site, including six disabled spaces and 13 'Sheffield' cycle stands, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

The application described the current site as “in a very poor condition”

The Bristol Road junction, the road where the sheds are housed, will also be upgraded with improved footpaths on either side.

A total of £4.25m will be spent on the project, of which £3m will be allocated from the town fund, with the remainder coming from grants approved by the Somerset Community Foundation.

The new facility is designed to "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".

The council will appoint the contractors for the scheme over the summer, with work beginning on the access road and sewerage improvements after the 2023 carnival.

The final carnival buildings will be delivered before the 2024 event, though it is anticipated they will begin being actively used after this date.