Council considers regeneration action plan for Radstock

A plan to regenerate Radstock and support future funding bids for projects including community spaces, reuse of brownfield sites and repurposing of vacant units is going before Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet.

The report to cabinet on 7 March on the Radstock Regeneration Action Plan highlights how the plan aims to underpin the growth of the town centre, making the most of opportunities to make it more vibrant and sustainable for the community.

The plan, which is based on residents’ feedback gathered in public surveys on a shortlist of ideas, has been developed in partnership with Radstock Town Council and other partners. It is guided by the existing Local Plan and feeds into the new Local Plan currently being developed.

Subject to funding being secured, the projects that are being proposed in the plan to support the regeneration of Radstock town centre include:

• Supporting Radstock Town Council to develop Trinity Methodist Church as a community hub
• A town centre cultural programme of arts and community events to two Radstock’s identity
• Potential outdoor event spaces at Tom Huyton Park Car Park, Norton Radstock Greenway, The Wheel & Miners Memorial Garden, Fortescue Road, Ludlow’s Court, The Street, and St Nicholas Church Field
• Encouraging redevelopment, reuse and repurposing of brownfield sites including the Library & Children’s Centre, Brunel Shed, Leigh House, St Nicholas Old School, Old Print Works, Fortescue Road 60’s Shops & St Nicholas Church Rooms
• Planting trees in Radstock town centre in 2024 as part of a wider project being carried out by Bath & North East Somerset Council
• Improving spaces within the town centre to benefit nature and the community, which may include Miners Pool, St Nicholas churchyard & Wellow Brook habitat
• Retrofitting and renewable energy solutions to be encouraged on all site improvements in the town
• Improving wayfinding, parking and streetscapes in the town centre
• Bringing vacant properties back into use with grant funding already in place to support the reuse of the Old Print Works site into a new arts and creative making space which has been established by a local CIC in collaboration with Bath Spa University.
• Improve the town centre offer including the accessible toilet already installed at Tom Huyton Park and provision of a café in the park.

The Radstock Regeneration Action Plan is going before cabinet on Thursday 7 March at 6:30pm. You can watch the meeting live and view the agenda here.

Councillor Paul Roper, cabinet member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development, said: “The Radstock Regeneration Plan is a great example of how this administration is working hard and securing funding to help regenerate our town centres and High Streets. It has been developed as a result of feedback from the community over the last two years. Its aim is to better meet the needs of residents in the future and to support the economic growth of the town, as well as encourage investment for projects that are going to benefit Radstock in the future. Thank you to all the residents and businesses who have helped to shape the plan, all the elements of which we will consider carefully at cabinet.”

Radstock is the first town in Bath & North East Somerset to benefit from town centre regeneration action plans funded by £750,000 from the West of England Combined Authority’s Housing and Regeneration Enabling Fund. Masterplans for Midsomer Norton, Twerton and Keynsham will take place up to 2025.

Find out about all of the ongoing and planned regeneration projects across Bath & North East Somerset