A DECAYING former hospital in Bridgwater is to become a skills development and learning academy for care workers - thanks to a £19.7million windfall.

The Government's Levelling Up Fund handout will help bring back to life the former Bridgwater Hospital.

The Grade II listed building, which has lain empty since the Community Hospital was built in 2014, will get a new lease of life as a training centre of excellence for health and social care. There will be an annexe of the trust, based in Minehead.

The project will see the building returned to public use by creating a wholly integrated skills development and learning academy to attract, retain, grow, and upskill key workers in the care sector.

The project aims to:

  • Grow and upskill the local labour market, making Somerset an attractive place to work in the health and social care sector.
  • Address local health and care inequalities through a more professionally trained sector, helping create more capacity in primary care with more people supported at home.
  • Drive innovation in health and social care service delivery and training by encouraging tech-business co-location at the site.

In tackling a complex listed building which has decayed over the years, further regeneration benefits expected include:

  • Saving a listed building in a prominent location next to the river.
  • Adding value to the wider, £23.2million Town Deal Investment programme in Bridgwater, which features major public realm improvement to Salmon Parade in front of the old hospital.
  • Driving further footfall to the town centre.
  • Creating jobs and potential for key-worker housing to be included.

Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset said: “What a great day for Bridgwater.

"Hot on the heels of 11 business cases in the £23million Bridgwater Town Deal being approved by Government, we're over the moon to hear an additional £20million is coming into the town.”

Cllr Duncan McGinty, Sedgemoor District Council leader, said: "This is a fantastic shot in the arm for Sedgemoor and its partners.

"We're absolutely delighted the bid was accepted and look forward to work starting on this fantastic project.

"We hope that work will start late summer 2023, subject to the necessary planning and listed building processes."

Partners in the project are Bridgwater and Taunton College, Bridgwater Town Council Integrated Care System, NHS Foundation Trust, Public Health Somerset, Sedgemoor District Council, Somerset West and Taunton Council, Somerset Association of Care Providers, Somerset County Council – Adult Social Care; Children Social Care; Integrated Living Service, University of West of England.