PEOPLE who live and work in Midsomer Norton are invited to a series of events to have their say over future development plans for the town.

The series of events are named Imagine Midsomer Norton and will provide insight in to what’s in store for the town.

The Regeneration Plan covers the entirety of the town centre, including the High Street, residential areas and town parks. The masterplan will cover an area surrounding the former Midsomer Norton Brewery buildings.

These plans are designed to enhance the appeal of Midsomer Norton and support businesses in the local area. These plans are an extension of the High Street Regeneration Programme, which is already underway, and received £3.7 million in grants.

These programmes are designed to set up a future for the town centre which can: Integrate modern infrastructure with heritage conservation to enhance the town and support local businesses, build a blueprint for future investment that aligns with the town’s aspirations and capitalises on its unique culture and heritage, and provide a route map to a more vibrant and welcoming town centre for residents, businesses and visitors.

Bath and North East Somerset Council want to find out what people love about the town centre, and what change is needed, and Imagine Midsomer Norton hopes to give people an input into the future of the town.

There will be three in-person and three virtual events that people can attend for people to find out more about the projects and have their say:

Virtual events will be held on Thursday, 10 October at 1pm and at 5pm.

Councillor Paul Roper, cabinet member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development, said: “Midsomer Norton town centre has benefitted from £3.7m investment over the last five years to transform the town hall, improve public spaces, shopfront improvements and bring cultural and community projects for the town.

“This new masterplan and regeneration action plan for Midsomer Norton will build on the improvements already being made to identify priorities for future investment.

“Our aim is to continue to attract people into the town centre, making it a place that residents and visitors want to spend time in and supporting local businesses. Midsomer Norton is a conservation area ‘at risk’, so improving the visual quality of the buildings and public space is important. I hope many people will get involved and tell us how they would like to see Midsomer Norton improved for the future.”

Midsomer Norton is the second town in Bath and North East Somerset to benefit from town centre regeneration action plans funded by the West of England Combined Authority. A plan for Radstock has been completed and has already brought in significant funding.