THE transformation of Minehead’s Irnham Road recreation ground into a £763,000 sports and community centre with the only floodlit football pitch in West Somerset took a giant step forward on Wednesday when it was recommended for a £382,000 Hinkley Point CIM grant.

West Somerset Council’s cabinet backed Minehead Town Council’s scheme aimed at transforming the ground into a focal point for sport and recreation with a new community hall, kitchen and bar facilities and changing rooms.

Future plans include upgraded tennis courts, a multi-use games area and a 12-piece outdoor gym.

The new complex will be home to Minehead Football Club and a range of social, wellbeing and sporting activities for the community would take place throughout the week.

The cabinet is recommending the full council to approve the CIM grant.

Presenting a report by the council’s community and housing impact lead Lisa Redston, deputy leader Cllr Mandy Chilcott said the project would greatly benefit both local people and the wider community.

Cllr Andrew Hadley believed such a facility in Minehead was long overdue.

And Cllr Martin Dewdney said the scheme had taken six years to evolve, adding: “There is much more in this than meets the eye. There’s lots of good stuff here.

“There are other halls in Minehead but nothing like this. Good luck to them.”

In her report, Ms Redston said that an estimated seven per cent of Hinkley workers now travelled daily to and from Minehead and that number was expected to increase.

New families needed access to leisure and social activities to allow them to integrate into the community.

She said the new buildings had been carefully designed to ensure that all sections of the community would benefit from them.