PLANS to create a new clubhouse and community hall at Minehead Football Club inched another step closer this week as Minehead Town Council agreed to set aside up to £150,000 which could go towards the completion of the building.

Earlier this month the proposal received a huge boost by gaining a £380,000 grant from the EDF Hinkley Community Impact Mitigation (CIM) fund and on Tuesday (March 27), Colin Johnson, from the Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership ,who is leading the project, gave an update to Minehead Town Council.

“This all started after the success of the Minehead Cricket Pavilion project, and the football club wanted to do something similar to update their facilities,” Mr Johnson said.

“But we quickly decided we wanted a building which would benefit the whole community, not just the football club. And so the proposal is for a community hall as well as the clubhouse and new floodlights.”

Mr Johnson said there were still some funding grant applications outstanding but another major bonus was the clubhouse winning the Jewson Community Award.

“They were really impressed by our project,” Mr Johnson said. 
“Out of 2,500 entries we were chosen as one of two winners and this means they will give us discount on wholesale prices on materials to go toward constructing the building.”

Mr Johnson also said there had been 11 letters already received from groups interested in using the hall.

Cllr Terry Venner questioned whether Minehead Town Council would be able to make its home in the new community hall, describing it as a ‘golden opportunity’.

Cllr Jean Parbrook, Mayor of Minehead, said: “Colin has worked extremely hard to secure the funding for this and it has been costed within an inch of its life – it would be disingenuous for us to do anything other than what has already been agreed.”

However, Mr Johnson did see there was potential in the future for an extension to be built which could, in theory, house Minehead Town Council.