PROJECTS which will help inject new life into West Somerset’s coastal heritage have won more than £90,000 from the Government.

Three schemes were among the 77 successful projects in awards from the £3 million Coastal Revival Fund, set up to help kick-start the revival of at-risk heritage sites that have potential to create opportunities for new businesses and jobs.

The grants will be paid to local authorities and will have to be spent in the current financial year.

“This is fantastic news for West Somerset,” said Cllr Karen Mills, who holds the economic regeneration portfolio.

“The area has been really successful in winning funding and I would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved.

“We are fortunate to have some very creative and energetic partners who are working so hard with us on behalf of West Somerset.”

Minehead’s Enterprising Esplanade has won £20,000 for its waterfront initiative. This project will refurbish existing Edwardian buildings, create new trading posts, visitor attractions and improve links to the South West coast path.

The scheme envisages Minehead’s seafront being transformed from an uninspiring expanse of sea defence concrete and wind-swept open spaces to a destination full of family fun and enterprising trading opportunities, heralding the renaissance of its Edwardian hey-day.

The aim of the project is to attract more visitors to Minehead by providing a much improved visitor experience, engender far greater community pride and provide many more opportunities for enterprising business start-ups as well as increased trade for existing businesses.

In Watchet, the Onion Collective has been successful in winning the maximum grant available – £50,000 – to create a Rope Walk pathway leading from the Brunel designed Boat Museum building, alongside the West Somerset Railway towards the East Quay harbourside area and Splash Point to the refurbished Victorian Pleasure Gardens.

Onion Collective director Naomi Griffith said: “A footpath will be created from the new Boat Museum Visitor Centre extension along the side of the railway track to the Goviers Lane crossing.

“This will give a really easy access along to the new Visitor Centre for people coming from the railway, and will include viewing areas for the trains and interpretation panels.

“Work is due to start on the Boat Museum in early January and the footpath won’t be far behind, with both hopefully being ready in May 2016.”

The Friends of the Steam Coast Trail have won £24,000 from the Coastal Revival Fund to help create a safe network of multi-user paths in and around the West Somerset coastline.

The Coastal Revival Fund would provide feasibility studies into extending the network into Minehead, and how to encourage cyclists around Watchet.

The project has won widespread support from the local community and will provide a boost for tourism as people will be able to enjoy the area’s coast without having to negotiate busy main roads.

Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said the fact that the area had done so well was down to the hard work of individuals and organisations in putting put the bids together.

West Somerset’s awards follow a £300,000 grant to create a cycleway alongside the westernmost section of the West Somerset Railway and, said Mr Liddell-Grainger, all three recognised the attractions of the West Somerset coastline.

“It is a wonderful asset but one whose tourism potential hasn’t really been exploited to the full,” he said.

“These grants open up some really exciting projects and the important thing is that we are going to see the money put to work almost immediately.

“So many excellent bids were received that another funding round has been announced and that makes it all the more impressive that three awards have been made to West Somerset alone.

“It’s a real tribute to those individuals and groups who have put together such convincing cases for support.”