It's full steam ahead for Midsomer Norton Carnival's new route, thanks to Bath and North East Somerset Council and Midsomer Norton Town Council working together to fund changes to the traffic island outside the Town Hall at the bottom of Midsomer Norton High Street.
Initial estimates last year put the cost of highways work to allow the Carnival to return to Midsomer Norton at £45,000. However, since then it has been found that the costs will be only be a quarter of this. Firstly, the trial run earlier this year with an actual Carnival float showed that the pavement at the top of the High Street needed no work and secondly, that the work to the traffic island would be simpler than first envisaged. As a result, Midsomer Norton Town Council has agreed to cover the cost of the design work and B&NES will fund the actual work on the ground.
The way is now set for a new Carnival route which will include not just Westfield, who have hosted the Carnival since the 1990s, but also Midsomer Norton and Radstock. As a result, this innovative route not only looks set to produce a bigger and better Carnival than ever before, but the opportunity to pave the way for local cooperation between all the three Councils on the ground.
Design work is already in hand for the road changes and it is hoped to get the work done with minimum disruption to High Street traffic.
The news that the final obstacle to the new Carnival route has been removed has been welcomed by the Midsomer Norton and District Carnival Association who have been increasingly successful of late at attracting more Carnival clubs to return on Monday, 10th November 2014.
In the meantime, Midsomer Norton and Radstock Chamber of Commerce are meeting on Thursday this week, from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Town Hall, to hear about opportunities to sponsor Carnival in 2014. All local businesses welcome.