Tropicana refurbishment to start after summer 2024

Government Levelling Up funding will be used to refurbish the Tropicana

Major work on the Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare is set to start at the end of summer 2024.

North Somerset council won £20m from the government's Levelling Up Fund for several projects in the town.

The cash, along with council match-funding, will help fund a refurbishment expected to cost between £5-7m.

The council is looking for a commercial operator to take on the running of the Tropicana on a 25-year lease, once the refurbishment is complete.

The work will see the capacity of the venue increased and it made suitable for "a flexible range of activities", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The plan will also include repairs to roofing, heating, lighting, ventilation, walls, floors, drainage, and the toilets so it can be used as a "multi-use flexible entertainment space".

The Tropicana has been used in recent years to host special events like Banksy's Dismaland show

The former swimming pool on the beach is owned and currently run directly by the council, and has hosted a number of iconic events such as Banksy's Dismaland in 2015 and SEE Monster last year.

It is currently the venue for Icescape, the country's largest outdoor ice rink.

But, as a council report warns, the venue is "underused and fails to generate adequate income to fully cover costs".

Construction is expected to start at the end of summer in 2024, but the scheme will need planning permission first.

The money from the Levelling Up Fund has to be spent by March 2025, but Ms Ford said the council were applying for an extension. 

A report setting out the planned procurement process for an operator will be brought before North Somerset Council in early 2024.

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