Bridport and West Bay have been chosen as one of the coastal areas to benefit from funding under the Government’s Coastal Communities Team initiative.
This means that the area will receive £10,000 funding to help establish a Coastal Communities Team. Bridport Town Council, the Bridport Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Bridport & District Tourism Association and the Bridport Local Area Partnership worked together to submit the successful application, which was supported by the Bridport Area Development Trust, West Bay Community Forum and West Dorset District Council.
The area will receive £10,000 of funding to help establish the new Coastal Communities Team, which will involve representatives from all of these organisations, and which will produce an Economic Plan for the area, to be published by the end of January 2016.
Sarah Williams, Leader of Bridport Town Council said:
“This is very good news and will enable existing groups to come together to develop an Economic Plan for West Bay and the surrounding area, building on the good partnership working that already exists.
“Issues that could be included in the Plan, and which were in the bid, are further environmental improvements in West Bay; Public Transport – improved connections from West Bay to the town area of Bridport and other areas; additional car parking; tourism/visitor information/Interpretation in West Bay and additional recreation facilities.
“This is a great opportunity for the area and the Town Council is very grateful for the support of all its partners to the bid.”
Richard Smith, President of Bridport Chamber of Trade and Commerce added:
“I am very excited at the possibilities of what this team and the funding can do for Bridport and West Bay. Having met and communicated already with many of the key people involved, it seems there is a real appetite to use this opportunity to do something significant for the benefit of businesses, residents and visitors alike.”
Scott Condliffe, Chair of the Bridport and District Tourism Association commented:
“There is already a great deal of cooperation between Bridport Town Council and many community groups, something which is quite special and doesn’t happen everywhere. With the establishment of the Coastal Communities Team, and the benefit of the awarded funds, this is a big opportunity to make significant improvements for local people and visitors.”
Maureen Jackson, Chair of the Bridport Local Area Partnership (BLAP) said:
“It is very pleasing that this application has been successful. BLAP represents the wider area and has an existing and long standing coastal communities working group, which looks at issues affecting coastal areas. It looks forward to taking these issues forward as part of the new Team.”
