EXCITING plans to modernise and transform Minehead Recreation Ground will be completed in the coming months.

During lockdown significant progress has been made on the new Community Building, and work on other projects within the park is due to start this week.

The new Community Building, which has been developed by Minehead Town Council, is due to be completed in June.

The new facility has been designed by Louise Crossman Architects and built by QUBE construction - both local companies.

A spokesman for Minehead Town Council said: “The main hall has an abundance of natural light, a sprung floor, excellent acoustics, a built-in storage area and all the latest IT technology which includes a built-in ceiling projector with an automated screen.”

Leading off the main hall is a modern kitchen and built-in bar with cold room, and two sets of double doors from the main hall open up on to a viewing veranda.

The building has men’s, ladies and disabled toilets as well as two changing rooms, showers and officials’ room and office.

The building also benefits from solar panels and underfloor heating.

The MTC spokesman continued: “The whole building has full disability access.

“At the entrance to the building from Alexandra Road car park two electric car charging points will be installed.

“This is part of MTC’s ambition to promote Minehead as a ‘Green Town’.”

The building will provide a home for Minehead Football Club at the weekends and for midweek training,and Minehead Town Council will hold all their council meetings in the main hall.

“The new building’s design means that the layout can be quickly and easily changed from an exercise class to a formal meeting or social function, training course to a whist drive,” the town council spokesman said.

During weekdays and evenings, the facilities will be available for use by community groups.

There are plans for a series of public open days, once lockdown allows, for residents to have a look around.

As well the Community Building, the Recreation Ground is also set to benefit from refurbishment work to the tennis courts and converting the basketball court to a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA).

Work will start at the end of May which will give both areas new porous tarmacadam surfaces, colouring, fencing and line marking.

The courts will be closed to the public for about six weeks and will re-open early in July.

The MUGA will remain free to use however there will be a small charge to use the tennis courts which can be booked through an online booking scheme.

The town council also secured funding for an outdoor gym, which will be free to use, and will be situated next to the MUGA and installed in late June/July.

This will consist of 10 pieces of standard gym equipment such as exercise bikes, cross trainers, leg press, rower, and chest press, but robustly built for outside use.

All the machines will have instructional boards alongside showing how they can be used.

Once all the building work on the facilities is complete then the old football club building will be demolished later in the summer.

Paul Bolton, Minehead mayor, said: “The refurbishment of the Recreation Ground has long been an ambition of the town council.

“This has been made possible by investment by MTC which has attracted partnership funding from a wide range of organisations namely – Hinkley Point CIM Fund, Somerset West and Taunton S106 Developers’ contributions, the Football Foundation, Jewsons’ Building Better Communities Fund, the Fairfield Trust and the Clarks Foundation."

“Our aim is to make the Recreation Ground a focus for active recreation in the town – in the new hall or outside – and we hope that the planned opening of the new facilities will occur as we come out of lockdown later in the summer and give our local communities of all ages an opportunity to get active and enjoy the benefits of all our new community facilities.”