Willmott Dixon has been appointed by Sedgemoor District Council for the £16 million contract to build Northgate Yard, a mixed-use regeneration project in Bridgwater town centre, Somerset.

The 40,000 square foot scheme provides a seven-screen cinema, eight-lane bowling alley and sports bar and has already secured anchor tenants Scott Cinemas and Allstars Bowling. It also features flexible space in four restaurant units with outdoor dining areas, ideal for local, regional and national food and drink brands to create high quality eating places.

Northgate Yard will have outdoor meeting places and landscaping, while the adjacent green space, Brewery Field, will be improved and updated to feature an outdoor children’s play area and parkland with a pond and landscaped planting.

Willmott Dixon was procured through the Southern Construction Framework to deliver Northgate Yard, which will be completed in October 2022. 

Rob Woolcock, Willmott Dixon area director, said: ‘‘This is going to be a fantastic leisure and entertainment facility for the people of Bridgwater. We know the town has been eagerly waiting for this to happen and our team are looking forward to delivering it. We have worked closely with Sedgemoor District Council to ensure the project benefits the local community as much as possible, through working with a local supply chain and providing apprenticeships and training.’’

Cllr Duncan McGinty, Leader of Sedgemoor District Council, says, “Northgate Yard is set to be a landmark destination for locals and tourists. One of the stand-out things about this project is the huge amount of community support. This is a much wanted and needed development and we’re delighted there is such an eagerness for this project to come to fruition, delivering a first-class leisure and entertainment hub for the area.”

The seven-screen cinema, operated by South West company Scott Cinemas, will provide year-round entertainment for all ages with separate screens offering a luxury studio experience with sofa seating and reclining seats. The ten-pin bowling alley, operated by regional company Allstars, will entertain families and groups with eight lanes of bowling and sports bar facilities.

Northgate Yard is the culmination of many years of planning for a central entertainment and dining hub for Bridgwater. Led by Sedgemoor District Council, Northgate Yard has been conceived with the local community and local economy at its heart. The council has worked closely with the community to create and deliver a vision reflecting what the people of Bridgwater want to see.