THE empty Seahorse Centre, in Minehead, will be revamped under a project which this week received £19.7 million of Government funding.

Sedgemoor District Council will use the Stephenson Road building as an annexe for a new health and social care staff academy training centre in Bridgwater.

The centre itself will be housed in the former Bridgwater Hospital, in Salmon Parade, which has been unused since a new community hospital was built in 2014.

The council wants to create a wholly integrated skills development and learning academy to attract, retain, grow, and upskill key care sector workers across the west of Somerset.

It was successful with a bid in the second round of the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, announced late on Wednesday.

Sedgemoor council leader Cllr Duncan McGinty said: “After the bad news over the last couple of days - the bus crash and the threat of flooding in the area - this is a fantastic shot in the arm for Sedgemoor and its partners.

“We are absolutely delighted that the bid was accepted and look forward to work starting on this fantastic project.

“We hope that work will start late summer, subject to the necessary planning and listed building processes.”

MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, who endorsed the council’s bid, said it was ‘a great day’ for the area and he was ‘over the moon’ to hear that an additional £20 million had been awarded by the Government.

Partners in the project include Somerset West and Taunton Council and Somerset County Council.