Engine Room in Bridgwater plans £600k revamp
LDRSPlans for a £600,000 revamp of a key cultural facility in a town centre have been revealed.
The Engine Room facility on High Street in Bridgwater, run by Somerset Film, wants to create new studio space and local training opportunities.
The first phase will focus on building works, such as replacement doors and windows, and adding solar panels
Somerset Council is expected to make a decision on the application in late summer.
If approval is given, work is anticipated to get under way before the end of the year according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Funding will come from £23.2m that Sedgemoor District Council secured in June 2021 to deliver 11 new projects designed to revitalise Bridgwater town centre.
The building works at the Engine Room will include erecting new signs to advertise the facility.
A spokesman for O2i Design Consultants (representing Somerset Film) said this will be followed by further internal alterations to create new flexible studio suites along with "interactive art/cultural experiences" which will "showcase local talent and community work".
"The new doors will be compliant with disabled access legislation," the spokesman added.
"The proposed scheme will renovate and improve this facility for the benefit of the local and wider community."
The entire Engine Room project was allocated a budget of £600,969 as of September 2022 - of which £500,000 comes directly from the Bridgwater town deal, £100,000 from Somerset Council (having previously been allocated by Sedgemoor District Council) and £969 from private donors.
It is one of three arts venues in Bridgwater which will benefit from town deal funding - the others being the neighbouring Town Hall and the Bridgwater Arts Centre on Castle Street.
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