A planned street party in Bridgwater, Somerset, has had to be postponed for six months as work on the town’s ‘Celebration Mile’ is yet to be completed.

Somerset Council and its contractor Taylor Woodrow are delivering three key sections of the ‘Celebration Mile’, intended to provide safer walking and cycling journeys between Bridgwater railway station and the Northgate Docks via the town centre, says Somerset Live.

The project – funded by £9m from the government-backed Bridgwater town deal – has been subject to significant delays, prompting steady criticism from local businesses and Conservative MP Sir Ashley Fox.

Bridgwater Town Council, working with Somerset Council and local businesses, intended to stage a street party on October 4 to mark the end of roadworks on Angel Place, Clare Street and Eastover.

But Somerset Council has now confirmed that the event (dubbed the ‘Paving The Way Street Party’) won’t take place until late-April 2026, owing to work on the affected streets not being completed in time for the event.

In a report to Somerset Council’s executive committee on September 8, officers stated that there had been “significant challenges in delivery [of the Celebration Mile], partly due to unchartered services leading to delays in redesign, and partly because of issues related to planning, procurement, and resources.”

The same report indicated that improvements to East Quay and Salmon Parade (near the former community hospital) have been removed from the programme due to cost pressures, saving around £300,000.

(Pic: Somerset County Council)