Which regeneration schemes are protected in Somerset Council's budget

The Firepool site in Taunton (Image: Daniel Mumby)

NUMEROUS major regeneration schemes designed to revamp Somerset have been protected as Somerset Council passed its capital budget for the coming year.

Every local authority in England and Wales sets two different budget: the revenue budget (which covers day-to-day spending on front-line services) and the capital budget (which provides money for new schools, roads and other infrastructure).

Somerset Council manages to stave off effective bankruptcy for a little longer when it passed its revenue budget in Bridgwater on Tuesday (February 20), with a £100m budget gap being plugged through council tax rises, selling off assets, implementing £35m in savings and raiding reserves.

But the council has also ensured that numerous major capital schemes, funded largely by external grants, will still move forward in spite of its wider financial difficulties.

While the revenue budget is funded predominantly through council tax and income from other services (such as car parking, planning fees and similar charge), the capital programme is mainly funded from central government grants, contributions from housing developers and external borrowing.

After declaring a financial emergency in November 2023, the council has been reviewing its capital programme, removing schemes which were only funded by external borrowing in order to reduce its repayments in light of high interest rates.

Any schemes which are fully funded by government grants and/ or development contributions will be allowed to proceed – with more than £258m being committed up to April 2027.

This includes the following major regeneration programmes:

• Improvements to the ‘Bridgwater northern corridor’, including upgrades to the Dunball and Cross Rifles roundabout (levelling up fund – original grant of £10m)
• Delivering the health and social care academy on Salmon Parade in Bridgwater, with a satellite site in Minehead (levelling up fund – £13,355,000 remaining)
• The Bridgwater town deal, including the regeneration of the Northgate Docks and delivering the Celebration Mile (towns fund – £16,234,000 remaining)
• Delivering an improved pedestrian and cycling route along the A39 between Dunster and Carhampton (Active Travel England – original grant of £1.5m)
• The Glastonbury town deal, including revamping Tor Sports and Leisure Centre and regenerating the Baily’s Buildings (towns fund – £16,050,000 remaining)
• Decarbonising the Wellington Sports Centre (public sector decarbonisation fund – £2,383,000)
• Regenerating the Tonedale Mill and Town Works sites in Wellington (levelling up fund – original grant of £20m)

The Yeovil Refresh is no longer listed in the capital programme since its delivery is expected to conclude by the end of the current financial year, with all monies from the future high streets fund being spent.

A large number of smaller-scale schemes, all of which are externally funded, have also been included – such as:

• Consolidating Dulverton Primary School onto a single site in light of falling pupil numbers (£100,000)
• Upgrading Frome Enterprise Centre (£825,000)
• Expanding St. Paul’s Junior School in Shepton Mallet (£400,000)
• Installing security measures at the Silk Mills Park and Ride site in Taunton to deter unauthorised traveller encampments (£125,000)
• Repairing the roof and other structures within the Orchard multi-storey car park in Taunton (£330,000)
• Expanding dining facilities at Heathfield School (£1m) and Pyrland School in Taunton (£900,000) and Courtfields School in Wellington (£700,000)

Two major improvements schemes have been removed from the capital programme – the regeneration of Wincanton town centre (£2,668,000), and the upgrades to Yeovil Crematorium (£3,957,000), both of which were begun under South Somerset District Council.

Councillor Ros Wyke, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and assets, said that the decarbonisation of Wincanton Sports Centre – funded by central government grants – would bring considerable benefits to the town.

This prompted an angry retort from Councillor Tom Power (Wincanton and Bruton), who said this was “a complete smack in the face to my residents, as this had nothing to do with the dire need for our town centre regeneration.”

Councillor Sue Osborne (Ilminster) said scrapping the crematorium upgrade would “come as a disappointment to a lot of people both in Somerset and over the border in Dorset.”

Deputy leader Liz Leyshon gave assurance that this scheme was “paused”, rather than being completely abandoned, adding: “I am sure that a new business case will be taken into consideration.”

The regeneration of the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil has also been removed from the capital programme after the council’s executive committee voted in October 2023 to put its planned £30m upgrade on hold in light of rising inflation and interest rates.

The original scheme was part-funded by a £10m grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), with the remainder coming from either council reserves or external borrowing.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, portfolio holder for culture, housing and communities, indicated that a revised business case for more modest improvements to the venue would soon be brought forward, paid for by the DCMS grant and £3.75m from Yeovil Town Council.

The town council confirmed in early-February that it would assume control of the theatre after any regeneration scheme was completed, as part of a wider devolution of local facilities including the Yeovil Country Park and the Yeovil Recreation Ground.