Details of five schemes which could transform a deprived Somerset town have been made public ahead of a ruling by central government.

Mendip District Council and Sedgemoor District Council jointly submitted a £19.3m bid to the government's levelling up fund in early-July for regeneration projects in Cheddar, Highbridge and Shepton Mallet.

The bid – which has attracted criticism from Wells MP James Heappey – is currently being assessed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), with a decision on whether to grant the funding being expected by the end of January, according to the Financial Times.

Shortly before Christmas, Sedgemoor's full council approved detailed proposals of exactly how Highbridge would benefit if the bid was successful.

Here's everything you need to know about the five major schemes which could transform the town's fortunes:

Why does Highbridge need levelling up?

Highbridge contains a number of highly deprived areas, as measured by the government's index of multiple deprivation – with some parts being within the bottom 20 per cent of England.

The town has struggled economically, with 22 per cent of the shops in the town centre being vacant (as of 2019 – the most recent government figures) compared to the national average.

A council spokesman added: "The area suffers from low land values that impact viability and create significant barriers for private investment.

"The current public realm is unattractive and lacks passive surveillance in places, encouraging anti-social behaviour, resulting in negative perceptions and environments that compound the sense of deprivation."

With huge amounts of new housing coming forward (such as the Brue Farm development at its southern edge, or the Isleport Grove site near the M5), Highbridge desperately needs a shot in the arm to prevent it becoming a dormitory town for people who commute to work in Bridgwater, Weston-super-Mare or Bridgwater.

How would the levelling up funding be spent?

The £19.3m bid covers projects across Cheddar, Highbridge and Shepton Mallet – but we don't yet know how much money would be allocated to each settlement if the bid was approved.

However, Sedgemoor District Council has published details of five projects which would drive the regeneration of Highbridge – of which four would directly use money from the levelling up fund, with the fifth seeking to lever in funding from elsewhere.

The five projects are as follows:

• Revamping the area around Bank Street and the B3139 Market Street
• Improvements to Highbridge and Burnham railway station
• Enhanced cycle links to and from Apex Park
• Creating a better community hall at Trowbridge Close
• Improving flood defences on the River Brue

How will the area around Bank Street and Market Street be revamped?

Bank Street and Market Street are identified within the council's Local Plan as a key priority, with investment being needed to "support local businesses, and encourage residents and visitors to spend more time in the centre of Highbridge."

Under the council's proposals, the existing Highbridge Community Hall will be upgraded, allowing a wide range of community groups to use the ground floor.

The green spaces around the hall and the Bank Street car park will be enhanced, with the Millennium Green being reconfigured.

Improvements will also be made to the St. John's Ambulance building, the Bank Street public toilets and the nearby play areas, with a new multi-use games area (MUGA) being created to the north of the car park.

Both streets will be redesigned to "create safer and healthier pedestrian-focussed streets", with new commercial spaces being provided on Bank Street and flexible event spaces being created for the community.

How will the area around the railway station be improved?

Highbridge and Burnham railway station is on the Bristol to Exeter mainline, and handles just under 200,000 passengers per year, according to the Office for Rail and Road.

However, the station was "not always represented the most attractive and usable gateway" to the town, which deterred potential investors.

To address this, a new travel hub will be created at the station, allowing passengers to access different types of transport for onward journeys, such as being able to hire bicycles.

The public realm will be enhanced, with the station forecourt being redesigned to make it easier for buses to access the site and better car parking for passengers.

The existing pedestrian and cycle paths being upgraded, linking up to a planned new footbridge to the Brue Farm development on the other side of the river.

How will local cycle routes be improved?

The council wishes to make Highbridge easier to walk and cycle around, reducing the need for both residents and visitors to use cars or other motorised transport.

To this end, the council proposes to focus its efforts on Tyler Way, which runs from the Market Street roundabout to Apex Park.

The existing footways on Tyler Way will be widened to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists, with a priority junction into Apex Park being provided and a new pedestrian crossing being installed on the A38.

The roundabout will be designed to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists, with the speed limit on Tyler Way also being reduced.

How will the Trowbridge Close facility be enhanced?

Residents of the Morland estate currently have access to two community facilities – a community hall on Pearce Drive and an "under-used" community on Trowbridge Close.

This project would see the latter site extended to support a wide range of community groups, with the Pearce Drive facilities being relocated.

The enhanced building would be complemented by a new community garden, an improved car park with 22 spaces for residents and hall patrons, and a mini games court, which would support basketball and five-a-side football teams.

What new flood defences are proposed?

Highbridge is at high risk of flooding from the River Brue, existing tides and rising sea levels, all of which threaten the long-term stability of the town.

One of the most at-risk areas is the former boat yard site, which was redeveloped into the Highbridge Wharf estate comprising 95 homes after plans were approved in January 2015.

To mitigate this, the council intends to construct new flood defences between the existing properties and the Brue estuary, with a three-metre wide pedestrian and cycle link running along the top.

Clyce Road would become a "quiet on-road cycle route", with improved pedestrian and cycle links between the A38 Huntspill Road and Apex Park to compliment the Tyler Way improvements.

When will these projects happen?

If the levelling up bid is successful – and the resulting business cases are approved – each of the projects are expected to be delivered by the end of the 2024/25 financial year.

Since Sedgemoor District Council will officially cease to exist on April 1, these projects will be overseen by the new unitary Somerset Council.