A MAJOR step has been taken as Watchet bids to be the first-ever UK Town of Culture in 2028 with a first prize of £3 million.

Town councillors believe Watchet is a ‘strong contender’ to win the award and have agreed an ‘expression of interest’ should be submitted in the coming weeks in an effort to secure £60,000 of Government money to develop a full bid.

A working group will now be formed from civic leaders and local organisations to ‘help shape the application and strengthen the bid through broad community input’.

The Government has invited towns to enter the new competition, which will run alongside the existing UK City of Culture contest.

The winning town will provide a year-long programme of cultural celebrations.

Asked whether Watchet had what it takes to go all the way, the town’s mayor, Cllr Loretta Whetlor, said: “Unless you try, you never know.

“We are a small town with a big heart.”

Cllr Whetlor said the town would come together to support the bid and the working party would explore the award in more detail.

When residents were asked this week whether they thought Watchet had any chance of success, either as a winner or a £250,000 runner-up, they said they believed it had more to offer than most towns of its size.

Watchet could become the UK's first Town of Culture.
Watchet could become the UK's first Town of Culture. (Tindle News)

They pointed out Watchet already had a year-round cultural programme centred around three museums, the East Quay harbour-front venue, the recently opened Backyard Theatre, and more than 70 community and creative groups and active voluntary organisations.

Town clerk Jo Grellier said the competition would give Watchet a major national profile and result in a long-term legacy, amplifying its voice nationally as a model for small-town renewal.

Ms Grellier said ‘town of culture’ was not a vanity project, nor an ‘arts for art’s sake’ initiative, nor an extra burden without any benefit.

Instead, it was an opportunity to scale what Watchet already did well - economic resilience and community wellbeing.

Ms Grellier said: “Endorsing this vision and forming a working group will ensure a co-ordinated, inclusive approach, maximise community engagement, and provide confidence that Watchet can deliver on its cultural ambitions.”

She said Watchet was a town where culture was embedded in everyday life and was also a town in transition.

Watchet may bid for UK Town of Culture status on the back of the town's strong cultural fabric.
Councillors in Watchet want to aim for the title ‘UK Town of Culture’. (Tindle News)

Ms Grellier said: “The closure of the B3191 has changed movement, trade, and patterns of use, prompting the town to proactively pursue an urban design strategy and a new community-led neighbourhood plan.

“Culture in Watchet is, therefore, not just about celebration, but about adaptation, resilience, and shaping the future together.”

She said the ‘once in a generation opportunity’ would enable Watchet to tell a powerful national story, how a small, historic harbour town uses creativity, collaboration, and care to respond positively to change.

Ms Grellier said: “As ‘UK Town of Culture’, Watchet would connect these strands into a cohesive, year-round programme where culture supports wellbeing, youth voice, access, pride, and participation, ensuring culture is something people do, not something that is done to them.”