Image by Paul Blakemore ON THE BEACH AT WESTON, WE SET OFF THROUGH WILD SWIMMERS WAIT IN LINE, THE OLD ESTATE, TO JOIN THE ROUGH BEYOND THE SCHOOL, AND TUMBLE TIDE TOWARDS THE GOLF COURSE, AND SURFACE FROM WHERE BEST MATES, THE RUSH OF LIFE. MIKE AND DAVE, ONCE PLAYED, HOW BRAVE THEY ARE — COLLECTING TRUANT FLY-AWAYS. ALL GOOSEBUMPS AND GRACE. WE REACH OUR BREATHLESS DESTINATION: UPHILL, OUT ON THE EDGE, WHERE THE SKY IS AN ARROW THEY FEEL A SENSE OF PLACE. THROUGH OUR HEART LOOK UP AT THE SOFTENED AND A PROBLEM SHARED JAWLINE OF THIS TOWN. IS A PROBLEM HALVED. FLAT HOLM, STEEP HOLM, THERE IT IS — THE CLEARING, BREAN DOWN. WITH ITS LAUGHTERFUL HERE, WE ARE LOST OF BLUEBELLS, AND INSTANTLY FOUND. AND THEN THE CHURCH, THE SKY, THE BIRDS. Contents Covid-19 This project had engaged with thousands of people about their town and their hopes for 02–03 the future by the time Covid-19 hit the UK. 1 Introduction People had expressed their ambitions for a more diversified town centre, with opportunities for leisure and play; space for business to start, invest and grow; and better homes with empty sites finally built out. 04–15 As in all parts of the country, the lockdown had 2 Weston-super-Mare a severe impact on the economy in the town centre and a visitor economy largely predicated on high volumes of day visitors. Prolonged and combined efforts and partnership between national, regional and local government, 16–27 employers, community networks and local 3 SuperWeston people will be needed to restore confidence and economic activity. The lockdown also stimulated unprecedented Placemaking Strategy community activity as people sought to support the most vulnerable in the town. There were countless examples of organised and spontaneous action to ensure people could eat, could get medicine and have somewhere to safe to stay. The energy and spirit developed 28–79 over those weeks and months will continue to 4 Programmes play a vital role to support people’s wellbeing, their local community and the town’s economy in the years to come. and Projects Weston is well placed to capture the benefits of the accelerated behavioural changes to shopping, working, commuting and travel. It is a place that inherently supports physical health and mental wellbeing with plenty of space for 82–93 outdoor activity, access to natural landscapes, 5 Public Engagement and a walkable town with a rich urban heritage from which to locally work. 1.0 Introduction 02 1.0 Introduction 03 What if... Weston were re-imagined and repurposed, step by step, to become a thriving and vital place to live, work and visit? A38 Welcome to Weston-super-Mare; a place This publication is the result of deep and wide of wonderful landscapes, a rich cultural and engagement with the local community, data architectural heritage and a wealth of amenities capture and analysis and developing project M49 for people living and working locally. Like proposals. This vision is ambitious and looks other towns and coastal places of its size, well into the future. It is not just about what Weston also faces challenges related to the Weston can become when grand plans have performance of its town centre, persistent been realised, but how Weston can change Portishead M4 inequalities and attracting inward investment. along the way. Bristol This is a Placemaking Strategy for Weston- The document sets out an ambition for a super-Mare town centre that sets out a vision series of projects across the town centre Clevedon and an ambition for a ten-year programme with approximate budgets and timeframes Nailsea 15 min of project delivery to help Weston become a for delivery. Some are large and long term, M5 healthier, greener and more prosperous place while others are lighter, quicker and cheaper. to live, work and enjoy. Critically, it is also an Not all of these are funded, and funding and exercise to use a new place-identity to better investment will be needed over time to realise 35 min Weston- broadcast Weston to existing and future the ambition. The delivery of these projects will super-Mare Bath residents, employers, investors and visitors. rely on partnerships between public and private sector, landowners, and the local community. A38 This exercise was initiated by North Somerset Council, but everyone is invited to play their Much of the initial work was undertaken leading part in delivering the ambition. Residents, up to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown of workers, business, institutions, community 2020 which had a very significant impact on groups, the voluntary sector, investors and the town centre and visitor economy. The set of government agencies are welcome to engage proposals recognise the profound longer-term with this brilliant place and capture the implications for the community, the economy opportunities it offers. and people’s daily lives. WESTON- SUPER- MARE 02 Image by Paul Blakemore for Megan Clark-Bagnall 2.0 Weston-super-Mare 08 2.0 Weston-super-Mare 09 Weston is a place to... home work travel library Live Work Connect Study Weston-super-Mare is a great place to live, Employers find that Weston is a productive From Weston Station, Bristol is 30 minutes Close to the amenities and connections of the combining a walkable town centre with the place, combining the High-Speed Broadband away, Bath 60 minutes and London and town centre and access to coastal and rural openness and fresh air of coastal views. (with plans for over 50,000 properties to Birmingham are within 2 hours. Regular landscapes, Weston is a popular and safe place Alongside the bay, residents enjoy access to be connected to Full Fibre) with access to bus services connect the town to Bristol for students to live, exercise, socialise alongside dramatic landscapes such as Sand Bay SSSI, heritage and natural landscapes to support International Airport. developing academic and professional skills. Uphill and the Mendip Hills further afield. wellbeing. Weston is served by strategic connections Weston College is one of the outstanding Those looking for somewhere to live can find In the heart of the Grove Village, The Stable is to the national motorway network from the Further Education institutions in the county their dream home, from the Victorian villas an inspirational place to work for creative and local M5, providing convenient access to and its sustained growth is positive asset for with coastal views in the Hillside, dense urban digital business, collaborate and host events the Midlands, South Wales, South West and the town and the opportunities it provides for streets such as Alfred Street and Alma Street or alongside fellow entrepreneurs in affordable London. local people. The growing student population the curved terraces of Ellenborough Crescent studios, co-working space and café space. at University Centre Weston are excelling in a and Royal Crescent, all within walking distance Improving safe cycle path networks into and growing number of courses including digital of good schools. Businesses of all sizes can benefit from a around the town are connecting suburbs and and creative, legal and business and education breadth of skills in the local workforce across neighbouring villages to the town centre while and wellbeing. Being able to live close to the walkable town sectors. the coastal cycling and walking path connects centre provides amenities on your doorstep Weston to Brean Down to the south and Purpose-built student accommodation and a richness of emerging arts and cultural Clevedon to the north. provides well managed and high-quality activity across the year and throughout the day. space for students to live and study and local workspace provides a place to start, test and grow enterprise once students have gained their qualifications. 2.0 Weston-super-Mare 10 2.0 Weston-super-Mare 11 play amusements outdoor Play Experience Go outdoors With play areas in parks across the town, family Weston is of course a well-known coastal Weston is a very popular place for summer friendly open spaces, indoor facilities and good resort and the expanse of the seafront attracts seaside day-trippers visiting the Victorian town. schools, Weston is becoming a more child millions of visitors a year, particularly in the It is also a year-round coastal town along the friendly place summer months. The promenade and the National Cycle Network and English Coastal beach itself provide summer attractions but is Path, providing plenty of opportunities to It is a place for sports and recreation (such as also a cleansing place for a brisk walk in the outdoor activities. kitesurfing) along stretches of the beach, in Autumn, Winter and Spring. parks and indoor sports facilities. Walkers and It is connected to outstanding coastal and rural cyclists will find easy access to nearby rural In-land, the largely Victorian town centre landscapes by growing and accessible network landscapes while the town is a key place along provides shopping, services, food and drink of walking and cycling. the English Coastal Path. for visitors and local people, particularly independent restaurants with cuisine from The legacy of Banksy’s Dismaland reminded around the world and newly emerging craft people that Weston has a thriving grassroots breweries and micro pubs. and nationally significant cultural programme in and around the town centre with curated Established cultural assets including the events and music and theatre in public spaces, Blakehay and Playhouse Theatres, two cinemas, pubs and venues in the town. The Tropicana, The Weston Museum, Grove Park, The Winter Gardens, The Quarry and The Stable provide a more granular, local and sometimes quirky experience across the year and throughout the day.