The latest phase of improvements to Temple Street in Keynsham to make it more attractive and engaging for residents, businesses and visitors to enjoy has been completed.

Wider pavements, new planters and parklets have been installed to improve part of Keynsham’s conservation area and enhance the views of the street in both directions.

Also part of the scheme is new seating, improved disabled parking bays, improved lighting and drainage and seven cycle hoops to accommodate 14 bikes.

The parklets have been co-designed by the community and feature written information and graphics about Keynsham’s connections to the fabric dye industry and its ammonites.

The Temple Street Improvement Project is part of Keynsham High Street Heritage Action Zone Programme (HS HAZ) a heritage-led renewal programme that aims to continue to make Keynsham High Street a more vibrant place.

A community planting event took place on Temple Street last Thursday (June 15) attended by Keynsham in Bloom, residents from Riverside, and local businesses Savour and Temple Street Canteen.

There will be a celebratory event on June 27, Strings in Riverside Square, to encourage more people to visit the new-look Temple St. Organised by Keynsham Music Festival, the event will offer an evening of family workshops and a performance by Bristol String Quartet. Connected with this, from Saturday 24 June – Sunday 2 July, ArtSpace will be hosting a pop-up gallery at MakeSpace, 2 Riverside Terrace. More information about these events can be found on the Hi Keynsham What’s On page.  

The developments for Temple Street will continue later this year with shopfront renovations for Temple Street Canteen and Savour along with improvements to the upper levels of the five buildings (20-28 Temple Street). Keynsham Town Centre will also have a range of cultural events funded by the small grants award scheme.

Councillor Kevin Guy, council Leader, said: “The council does everything it can to support our high streets and the businesses which give them life. We are proud of the heritage of Keynsham and the part it plays in the vibrancy of the area, so it’s great to see the improvements come to fruition. I hope they will mean more shoppers and visitors are encouraged to find out everything that Temple Street and the whole town has to offer.”

Keynsham HS HAZ is a partnership project led by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Renewal Team, funded by Historic England with match funding from the council and Keynsham Town Council.

Councillor Hal MacFie, Chair of Keynsham Town Council, said: “Keynsham has a rich and vibrant history and Keynsham Town Council values the work done by the Keynsham High Street Heritage Action Zone partnership project to improve the look and feel of Temple Street now and for the future. Many thanks to the contractors for an on-time delivery of the works to Temple Street.”

The recipients of the small grant awards under the Local Cultural Programme include:

  • three photography projects: Humans of Keynsham by Clare Anderson, a creative heritage themed workshop by Snap and Stoll, and an exhibition Creativity Unwrapped celebrating 25 Years of Keynsham in Bloom,
  • a Pop-Up Museum by Keynsham Abbey Working Group, Keynsham and Saltford Local History Society and Saltford Brass Mill Project
  • a live performance and family music workshop in Riverside Square, Strings in Riverside Square organised through Keynsham Music Festival
  • an oral history training and film capturing Our High Street Histories by Community @ 67

Further information about each of the successful projects can be found on the projects update page.

There are also upcoming events at Keynsham MakeSpace at 2 Riverside Terrace which include:

 Keynsham MakeSpace offers local businesses, art and community groups a fully serviced, accessible, flexible and affordable space for a range of activities. Fill in an Expression of Interest form to let the council know more about your idea.