cHALLENGE:

Like many seaside towns across the UK, Weston-super-Mare has been caught in ongoing cycles of deprivation and underinvestment. Because of this, North Somerset Council is focusing on kick-starting the regeneration of Weston-super-Mare by making the best possible use of their existing place assets.

IMPACT:

Inner Circle have been working with North Somerset Council across various workstreams to accelerate the regeneration of Weston-super-Mare. Our work focused on engaging with a wide range of stakeholders – including Council officers, councillors, established and prospective businesses, institutional investors – to understand North Somerset’s USP (Unique Selling Point), barriers and opportunities for investment.

This included:

• Development of a successful £24m programme of intervention and funding bid to the Levelling Up Fund.

• Development of an investment prospectus, and a prospectus and investment toolkit for Weston-super-Mare to demonstrate the Council’s USP, its commitment and support for businesses and to set out its vision: encouraging inward and local investment to deliver economic growth that is green, digital and people centred.

• Engagement with other agencies, like Arts Council, to leverage further funding and long-term activity enabled by the Council’s investment.