Introduction
The Celebration Mile has been a Bridgwater infrastructure concept for a long time. It encompasses the route from the rail station into the town centre, via St John Street, Eastover and Fore Street, before heading north through Angel Crescent and the new Northgate Yard development, and finishing in the historic docks.
So what is it exactly? It’s an ambitious plan to regenerate the town centre, making big improvements to the look and feel of the place. A Public Realm Feasibility Study was produced back in September 2014, driven by Sedgemoor District Council (SDC) and Somerset County Council (SCC). It states: The Celebration Mile – a pedestrian priority route [with cycling infrastructure] leading from the rail station to the Docks and celebrating the history of Bridgwater…
Another document, the Bridgwater Vision, was produced in 2015, and this ties in with the feasibility study too. In the introduction, it says: The best places to live and work are those that evolve by capitalising on the most valued assets from their past and anticipating the most pressing needs for their future. This is the idea behind the Celebration Mile – to provide what the town needs for the future, while honouring its rich heritage.
As the feasibility study shows, there has been a huge amount of effort put into the project concept works, analysis and detailed plans. Bridgwater is among 101 towns invited by central government for a ‘Town Deal‘ to prepare a vision and strategy to guide sustainable regeneration. We as a town can bid for £25 million of public investment, to be spent over the next thirty years – and now it is being realised with the Bridgwater Town Board development team being awarded £23.4 million for improvements in the town. £9 million has been allocated to actually commission the start of this major project – a golden thread through Bridgwater town centre.
The Celebration Mile concept, creating a pedestrian route from the Bridgwater train station to the docks, has been embedded within the the town’s major vision and overarching planning documents: Bridgwater Vision (2015) and the SDC Adopted Local Plan (2011 – 2032)
Celebration Mile Timeline
As you can imagine, such major changes in the centre of town will take time and a significant amount of review, design and planning. The Town Fund consultation team have therefore come up with an indicative timeline for delivery (see image below) in three distinct phases.
BACC will follow these three planning phases and review the planning applications as they go from outline planning through to actual construction & completion.
The three phases are as follows:
Eastover (including East Quay, Salmon Parade and Town Bridge)
Clare Street (incl Orlove Place, Castle Moat and links to Cornhill)
Angel Crescent (incl Mount Street & the Northgate Yard Complex)
But why does BACC need to get involved, we hear you ask? Can’t we just let those in authority just get on with it? Well, there have been some important changes in the last few years to the way cycle infrastructure should be built. These are designed to ensure that bike routes are not only safe but that they are built in such a way that cycling is more attractive than driving, and that they’re able to cope with the rise in bike traffic we’re bound to see in the future. By monitoring these plans, we want to ensure that these guidelines are met, so the townspeople get the best possible outcome.
The images below allow us to really imagine what it might be like when the Eastover section of the Celebration Mile is completed…
Eastover (including New Road, Salmon Parade, East Quay and Town Bridge)
The project team have stated that “The ‘Celebration Mile’ is a project to deliver a golden thread through Bridgwater town centre to attract further investment and create a pedestrian and cycling priority route leading from Bridgwater Train Station to the Docks. The scheme will celebrate and emphasise the history of the town through co-ordinated high-quality public realm and associated enhancements.” The Eastover section including East Quay, Salmon parade and the Town Bridge is the major part of this project and the transformation of Eastover will truly bring the Celebration Mile to fruition.
And more importantly, it’s not just about how we move around town, either. The overarching aim of the whole project is to create a pleasant, welcoming space for residents and visitors. Our town centre has so much potential, and these proposals will go a long way towards realising it. By improving the environment, people will naturally want to visit more often and for longer, spending time and money in our valuable local businesses. Eastover will be key…!
We have reviewed the comprehensive and very detailed planning documents associated with the Eastover planning application (Celebration Mile proposed enhancement of the Eastover District Planning applications (08/22/00074 & 08/22/00075). In brief, our comments were as follows: Our general view and formal support for this exciting development project, the Eastover, Salmon Parade contraflow cycle lanes and the need to build in ‘light segregation’ from surrounding traffic, the difference between ‘mandatory lanes’ to ‘advisory lanes’ as specified in Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/20, the junction suggested re-design which intersects with Eastover / Town Bridge & East Quay / Salmon Parade, the possibility of transforming BInford Place in the future, agreed approach on speed limits and the feasibility of creating a ‘Active Travel Hub’ in the centre of town
You can read our comments to the planning officer in full here. If you would like to look at the planning application in more detail, please look at further reading of the comprehensive ‘Eastover (Celebration Mile) – Technical Note‘ prepared by project engineers at Stantec.
Work is due to start April 2023. Outcome statements to be added in future!
Clare Street (including Castle Moat & Orlove Place)
This planning application (08/22/00041) is part of the ‘Celebration Mile’ is the proposed enhancement of Clare Street, including new street furniture, signage, resurfacing and associated works. The whole concept here is to transform this area and create a pleasant street atmosphere and a safe pedestrianised walking area.
This area also has the need to remove through traffic and the many parked cars to create a green space with contemporary design, such as tree & shrub planting. You can see a plan view of the area here.
Clare Street provides a key link between the main town centre and Angel Place shopping centre (via Angel Crescent) and the Northgate Yard development, and lies centrally on the Celebration Mile. There are no requirement to add comments to this planning application from BACC.
If you would like to read more detail, see the Clare Street Landscape and Public Realm Document prepared by Stantec consultancy.
Angel Crescent (including Mount Street & the crossing to the Northgate Yard complex)
This planning application (08/22/00165) for this part of the Celebration Mile is the proposed enhancement of Angel Crescent, including Mount Street and toucan crossing to Northgate Yard complex. Improvements will include new street furniture, signage, resurfacing and associated works. The whole concept here is to create a pleasant street atmosphere and pedestrianised area. A drawing of the whole area to be enhanced is here.
Although we were late in replying to this planning application, we have added our comments to it. It has been noted to the planning team and particularly the case officer that the main route for cyclists must be through the Castle Moat to access the town centre and Cornhill areas, so that the Angel Crescent area can remain for pedestrians who are walking between town and the Northgate Yard complex.
You can read our comments in full here; outcome statements are not required.
If you would like to read more, take a look at the Angel Crescent Landscape and Public Realm Document prepared by Stantec consultancy.
