Step forward for carnival HQ upgrade
BBCA contractor has been appointed to deliver a £4.9m project to rebuild the headquarters of one of Europe's largest illuminated carnivals.
Nine clubs use the workshops on Bristol Road in Bridgwater to build their carts for the Somerset carnival season each year.
The project includes replacing the existing sheds with 14 new ones, which will have heating, lighting and running water.
Somerset Council has taken a key decision, which should allow construction work to begin in the coming months.
The local authority estimates around 1,700 volunteers are involved in creating carnival cart entries.
Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Committee is also housed on the site.
The project is set to provide a total of 140 parking spaces, including six disabled spaces and 13 cycle stands.
The Bristol Road junction would also be upgraded, with improved footpaths on either side.
Planning permission for the project was granted in 2023, with construction work originally set to be completed before the 2024 carnival.
Design work started in March 2023 and more recently the council put out a tender for construction firms to complete the building work.
A preferred supplier has now been identified, which a council report called a "huge milestone".
The project is one of a number of schemes to receive government funding as part of the Bridgwater Town Deal.
It received £3m from the deal, and further funding from Somerset Community Foundation and Arts Council England.
The council report said the scheme would "regenerate the Bristol Road site from its currently dilapidated condition".
It said the site was "not fit for purpose" and it hoped the new "higher spec buildings" would attract volunteers to "continue the long-standing tradition" of the carnival.
Last year's carnival had around 1,000 performers in the procession, made up of 99 entries, including carts and walking participants.
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