WORK started this week on Minehead’s new community building at the Recreation Ground in Irnham Road and is due to be completed by April next year.

The new facility will be available to local people for community, sports and recreation event bookings as well as being a permanent venue for Minehead Town Council meetings and a home for Minehead Association Football Club.

It has been designed by Withycombe architects Louise Crossman Associates and is being built by Qube, and work started on Monday following months of collaboration, negotiation and consultation.

The project is receiving support and funding from several parties including Minehead Town Council, the Football Foundation, the Hinkley Point Community Impact Fund, Jewson Ltd and Somerset West and Taunton Council Section 106 funds.

Special thanks were expressed to Colin Johnson of Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership for his fundraising efforts and Minehead Town Council deputy clerk Bryan Howe for his work in making the project possible.

“We are delighted that the day has come for the building to be started,” said Minehead’s mayor Cllr Sandra Slade

“There has been a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that everything is properly in place and now we look forward to seeing the new purpose-built community building up and running for the benefit of all residents.”

Mark Vickers, chairman of the football club, said: “This exciting project was started nearly four years ago and has taken hours and hours of work to get to this stage. I

“I would like to express our thanks, in particular, to Colin Johnson for his expertise and the time spent in meetings with us to give this the best chance of success.

“Our present club is very tired and regrettably no longer fit for purpose. Most of the building is condemned and the only option was to seek funding for a new home.

“We are very happy to be working in harmony with Minehead Town Council to ensure the long-term future of Minehead AFC and to bring about a facility that will benefit the larger community.”