A FEASIBILITY study on plans for a Minehead public swimming pool is to be carried out after it was awarded a share of a £230,000 Government grant.

The money has been allocated to the Somerset Coastal Place Partnership (SCPP) via Sport England and Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP).

It will enable consultants to look at the feasibility of the town’s swimming pool project, a report on which will be needed to support any grant applications.

Minehead Health and Wellbeing (MHW) and Minehead Swimming and Leisure (MSL), have been working together on plans for a 25-metre public swimming pool.

The town council has allocated land for it to be built on the Irnham Road recreation ground and during the summer more than 1,000 people signed up to support the project.

Sport England expects SCPP to boost levels of physical activity among those in greatest need, from the most inactive communities.

SASP chief executive Jane Knowles said: “Through this partnership with Sport England, we have a real opportunity to work alongside our coastal communities to remove the barriers that prevent people from being active.

“We are grateful to Sport England for recognising the unique challenges faced by these communities and for investing in a place-based approach that values local insight and lived experience.

“We look forward to working closely with local partners, residents, and our locally trusted organisations to support people along the Somerset coast to move more for their health and wellbeing, building activity and movement into our daily lives.”

SCPP is working to support communities along the Somerset coast from Porlock to Burnham on Sea, and including Bridgwater.

It will use the £230,000 fund also to:

• Enhance partnerships with primary care to strengthen self-management of long-term health conditions

• Gather a comprehensive local insight to ensure community voices are fully considered and directly inform the development and direction of the programme

• A two-day leadership programme in January designed to support and develop local coastal leaders and community organisations

SCPP also wants to see the involvement of locally trusted organisations (LTOs), community-rooted groups which are trusted locally and work collaboratively to make a positive difference.

Each LTO will receive pilot funding to support community consultation and ensure local voices shape future plans.

LTOs will join a network building skills and local capacity, strengthening community voices, connecting local partners, and sharing learning to enhance resilience and impact along the Somerset coast.

Anybody interested should email the SASP’s Jake Hannis at [email protected].

Sport England executive director Lisa Dodd-Mayne said: “We want everybody, no matter where they live or who they are, to have the chance to be active and healthy.

“To do this, we are focusing on places where people face the biggest challenges.

“We are proud to announce a further 27 new Sport England place partnerships, in every corner of the country, bringing the total number of places we are working with to more than 90.

“We are excited to see what we can achieve together in Somerset.”