We have successfully bid for £750,000 funding from the West of England Combined Authority’s (WECA's) Housing and Regeneration Enabling Fund, to create regeneration plans and masterplans for four town centres in Bath and North East Somerset, working in partnership with residents, landowners, businesses and other stakeholders.
This project forms part of our wider High Street renewal plans to protect and renew our High Streets.
Details of the plan
The first plan to be developed was for Radstock, and this was carried out in partnership with Radstock Town Council. The plan was approved by the town council in December 2023 and by B&NES Cabinet in February 2024.
The Radstock Regeneration Action Plan identifies linkages between existing projects, including census data, information on Radstock’s heritage, Conservation Area, the Local Plan vision and outlines challenges and opportunities facing the town.
The following priority projects were identified during consultation and are included in the draft Regeneration Action Plan:
- Improve community facilities in the town centre such as Trinity Hub, which will provide community space (café, events, meetings, networking, business use, workshops) and a home for Radstock Town Council and library.
- Outdoor Events - spaces have been identified as offering potential for hosting vibrant, engaging events.
- Cultural Programme – the programme ran from September 2023 until June 2025. It focused on arts and heritage, engagement, participation, skills, and training, with the aim of celebrating Radstock's cultural identity and encouraging arts and heritage activity in Radstock town centre
- Brownfield Site Redevelopment, Reuse & Repurposing is encouraged. The Old Printing Works in Waterloo Road was redeveloped and The Old Print Works Arts hosts a programme of activities that creates community and supports skills development and career building for creative people.
- Tree Planting in Radstock town centre is planned for 2026.
- Green and Blue spaces within the town centre will be assessed to see how they might be improved and managed for the benefit of the local community and nature.
- Improvements that take place in Radstock will also be encouraged to incorporate retrofitting and renewable energy solutions.
- Funding was approved to provide improved wayfinding in the town centre.
- Re-occupation and temporary use of vacant units will be looked at where possible.
- Funding has been received for a Changing Places toilet in Tom Huyton Park to improve the town centre offer.
Engagement
Initial project scoping took place in early 2022 in partnership with Radstock Town Council and our officers, which then informed community engagement that took place in September/October 2022 and February/March 2023. Comments received were generally positive and helped to inform the projects outlined in the action plan, some of which are already underway.