PEOPLE in Watchet are being given a chance to pick the brains of internationally renowned experts and create a pavilion-style structure for the planned pleasure gardens at Splash Point – in just three days.

The Watchet-based Onion Collective CIC has won funding from Big Lottery’s Awards For All for a three-day collaborative workshop.

And its challenge will be to create a design for a structure that can be built in three days by local people of varying skill.

It will be led by architect and broadcaster Piers Taylor from BBC2’s The House That £100k Built, renowned timber expert Charley Brentnall and landscape architect Marc Dix.

Local people will be able to take part in the workshop, called Pleasure Build Up, from Thursday evening September 3 to Sunday September 6.

A free event, the workshop, will be to build a structure for the pleasure garden able to withstand the relatively wild and windy environment of Splash Point’s clifftop location as well as landscaping for the wider area.

It is open to anyone from the local area interested in becoming involved in learning building and landscaping skills from internationally renowned award winning professionals.

Onion Collective director Georgie Grant said: “This project is about more than creating a beautiful public space for Watchet. It is about bringing local people together to share the skills that we already have within the community, and to be inspired by and learn from some exceptional world class professionals.

“There is a wonderful sense of empowerment from working together as a community and it’s something that Watchet is especially good at.

“We hope this project will inspire more community projects that have the potential to make a real difference for our town.”

Landscaping of the area will continue throughout the autumn, using the designs created during the workshop. The landscape designs will need to be easy to maintain and have the ability to withstand salty and windblown conditions.

Ideas for the landscaping put forward by local people have included having separate ‘zones’ with different activities for wide appeal – such as a ‘sensory’ area, an edible garden, wildflower meadow, boules, stargazing areas, a maze, an area for barbecues and a quiet area. These ideas will all be brought to the workshop.

To book a workshop place go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pleasure-build-up-tickets-18016713475. For any further information contact Georgie Grant at georgie@ onioncollective.co.uk or call her on 07940 950396