Up to £5 million could be invested in cultural events surrounding one of Somerset’s historic mills if a bid for government funding is successful.

Somerset West and Taunton Council is exploring different options for regenerating the Tonedale Mill site in Wellington, bringing the former industrial buildings and the neighbouring green space back into community use.

A bid for £20 million to the government’s levelling up fund has already been submitted, which if successful would allow Tonedale Mill and the adjoining Toneworks site to be reinvigorated for ‘commercial, cultural or creative uses’.

Now the council has revealed plans for a separate bid to the government’s cultural development fund, which could secure up to £5 million for what has been dubbed the ‘Creative Tonedale’ programme.

The cultural development fund is administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and focuses on ‘transformative place-based creative and cultural initiatives’.

Cllr Caroline Ellis, portfolio holder for culture, confirmed the initial stages of a bid in a report published before a full council meeting at Oake Manor Golf Club last week.

She said in her written report: “An expression of interest has been submitted for ‘Creative Tonedale’ which, to our minds, perfectly fits the bill for this fund.

“Applicants can apply for between £2 million and £5 million for capital activity, with a limited proportion of resource activity.

“There is a minimum requirement of 15 per cent match funding, which I am assured we have, and projects need to take place between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2025.

“If we make it through the initial stage, our application will need to be in by mid-October.”

The council’s culture strategy singles out ‘the potential development of Wellington Tone Works and Tonedale Mill’ as one of its key priorities for the next decade.

Bids to the levelling up fund are organised on a constituency basis rather than being spearheaded solely by local authorities.

The council’s bid is being supported by Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow along with other partners in the public and voluntary sectors.

Council leader Federica Smith-Roberts teased details of the bid in her own report to the council, stating: “The aim of this bid is to transform and sustainably regenerate the nationally significant heritage site at Toneworks and consolidate the green lung of Wellington with community and culture, people and ecology at the heart of the regeneration scheme for Tonedale.

“The proposal seeks to deliver the next stage of repair of the grade two listed Toneworks site, bringing a building that was close to dereliction back into functional life with commercial, cultural and creative uses.

“The community land acquisition project connects the heritage mill sites, improving access and connectivity through neighbouring green and blue infrastructure while integrating a number of community-led initiatives into the space, enhancing the natural environment and serving the residents of Wellington and beyond.”

Further details of the bid are expected to be published later in the year, with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) expected to make its decision on the bid before Christmas.

Daniel Mumby, Local democracy reporter