Somerset town is transforming its centre and celebrating its rich heritage with a multi-million pound investment.
A historic Somerset town, is undergoing a remarkable transformation thanks to a £2.4m investment from the Government, Somerset Council and Historic England. On Wednesday August 2, Marcus Fysh MP joined Historic England and Somerset Council to see how recent investments are improving the historic town centre and engaging local people in the rich history of the area.
Set up in 2020 by Somerset Council and Historic England, the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) is delivering a total investment of £2,484,235 into Chard town centre. This is made up of £1,079,000 of Government funding with £1,405,235 from the Council. The scheme is improving public spaces, repairing historic buildings and shopfronts, and supporting community engagement.
Mr Fysh was joined by Rebecca Barrett, regional director for Historic England, Dr Joanne O’Hara, heritage at risk programme manager at Somerset Council, and Natalie Fortt, regeneration manager at Somerset Council on a tour of the High Street Heritage Action Zone.
The tour included the newly widened and repaved areas of Fore Street and Holyrood Street which, with new seating, provides a safer, more attractive area for pedestrians and shoppers. The town’s distinctive historic rills, or channels, have also been repaired with blue lias stone, a fine-grained type of limestone.
Mr Fysh then visited Barron’s at 2 Holyrood Street, the first town centre building to be awarded a building improvement grant from High Street HAZ and an exemplar in showing what a difference repairing historic features can make, and how the scheme can benefit shops and businesses in the town centre.
There was also an opportunity to discuss the work Chard Museum has been doing to celebrate the town’s heritage and encourage people to get involved, from the Streets of Chard, a booklet with the history of the town’s street names, to new walking tours on various subjects, including the lace riots.
The tour included 9 Fore Street, one of Chard’s most important historic buildings. In addition to supporting the HSHAZ, Historic England awarded funding of £147,000 in May to help Somerset Council purchase the Grade I listed building, which is now leased to Somerset Building Preservation Trust. 9 Fore Street dates from 1577 and retains most of its original features, including 17th-century plasterwork depicting scenes from the Judgement of Solomon.
Marcus Fysh MP said: “It was a pleasure to meet with Rebecca, Jo and Natalie to learn more about their work with partners to improve Chard. Backed by £2.4m of funding, these projects build on our rich heritage and are breathing new life into the town centre.”
