Bridgwater’s eagerly anticipated Health and Care Academy is now expected to open in the spring of 2028, following a revised funding timeline and strategic planning efforts.
Originally backed by a £19.7 million grant from the Levelling Up Fund announced in January 2023 under the previous Conservative government, the project aims to transform the former community hospital site on Salmon Parade. A secondary satellite site is also planned in Minehead, near the town’s new police station on Stephenson Road.
To date, work has concentrated on developing the Minehead facility and conducting essential design and remedial tasks at the Bridgwater location, carefully coordinating with concurrent local regeneration initiatives. Somerset Council recently finalized the heads of terms with NHS partners, paving the way for construction to begin once planning permission is secured.
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However, due to extended timelines for using the Levelling Up Fund—granted by the current Labour government—the academy’s full operation is now projected for spring 2028. Councillor Sarah Wakefield, who oversees adult services, housing, and homelessness, emphasized the complexity of the project during a council executive meeting in Taunton. She noted that despite the popularity and clear need for redeveloping the long-closed hospital facility, challenges remain that demand diligent management.
Located on Salmon Parade between A38 Broadway and Eastover, within Bridgwater’s Celebration Mile, the site plans maintain the existing hospital entrance. The primary step-free access will be added from the west, featuring 25 car parking spaces and ample cycle facilities, with an additional auxiliary entrance on the east side. This responds to recent feedback calling for improved local parking solutions.
The academy will offer approximately 3,000 annual training sessions—both in-person and virtual—across nearly 3,000 square meters spanning three floors. Facilities include multiple training rooms, offices, outdoor training spaces, an early years centre, and an independent living centre focused on supporting residents to remain comfortably at home longer through innovative technology and services.
The council will oversee construction post-planning approval. Besides the Levelling Up Fund, the project also benefits from £1.5 million contributed by the Hinkley Point C regeneration fund and £630,000 from the Bridgwater town deal. Post-completion, Somerset Council will retain ownership of the building, while the NHS Foundation Trust will manage staffing, training, and ongoing maintenance.
Training will be commissioned by the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB), ensuring seamless integration with primary care and other NHS services locally. Councillor Wakefield expressed enthusiasm, highlighting the academy’s potential to bolster social care workforce skills and create job opportunities vital to Somerset’s community.
Sarah Green, Academy Director at the ICB, described the initiative as a transformative opportunity for Somerset’s health and social care sectors to collaborate innovatively for the benefit of workforce and community alike.
Council leader Bill Revans, who was involved when the funding was first granted, welcomed the project’s progress. Reflecting on the building’s importance, he shared personal connections to the hospital and underscored the significance of returning the site to positive use as part of Bridgwater’s broader regeneration efforts.
The detailed business case is slated for review by the council’s executive committee in early June, with formal planning discussions planned later in the year by the council’s planning committee north, responsible for major applications in the former Sedgemoor area.