THESE plans show how Bridgwater’s town centre will look after a £130,000 improvement plan.
Work on the project will start this summer after Sedgemoor District Council officers presented plans to a packed Bridgwater Town Council development forum meeting last week.
The upgrades planned for High Street and Fore Street will be part of a wider plan for the Celebration Mile - a pedestrian priority route from the train station to the Docks.
As one part of the Bridgwater Town Centre Support Project, the £130,000 improvement scheme for Fore Street and High Street will result in “de-cluttering” and freshening up of street furniture, such as seats, lamp posts, cycle racks, updated and improved signage and replacement of dying and diseased trees.
The West Quay area will also be reconfigured to create an improved environment and experience for town centre visitors.
The architectural lighting of Town Bridge will also follow in the summer.
The reception to the plans at the meeting on Tuesday, March 14, was generally positive, with Councillor Mick Lerry saying: "I think this is a real opportunity for us to transform out town centre and have a legacy after the Hinkley C build out.
“It will make the town centre more welcoming. Some people have raised concerns over the anti-social behaviour in the town but actually the police have done a lot of good work and the situation has improved.
“We have not had a member of the public at a town council meeting bring up anti-social behaviour for a number of months now."
Roger Smith, centre manager of Angel Place, took issue with one member of the public describing Bridgwater as having a “dying town centre.”
Mr Smith said: "It is not dying, it is challenging but that is no different to any town centre. But recently both New Look and Prezzo announced they were closing huge numbers of stores across the UK, but both the Bridgwater branches will stay because they are doing well."
Bridgwater resident Nick Gibson added: "I welcome these proposals. I hope they will attract more people to shop in Bridgwater but I do worry that until we sort out problems with the traffic people will be put off coming into Bridgwater."
Mr Harper said the hope is that construction of the improvements, as well as the Town Bridge lighting, would take place in late June and early July, ready or this year's Quayside Festival.
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