A Somerset MP has refused to give his backing to an "unimaginative" bid to transform three communities through the government's levelling up fund.

Mendip District Council and Sedgemoor District Council have jointly submitted a £19.3M bid to central government, identifying numerous projects designed to regenerate Cheddar, Highbridge and Shepton Mallet.

James Heappey – whose Wells constituency includes all three settlements – said he was unable to formally support the bid, claiming the councils had "ignored" his advice and that the proposals would be outshone by other, better bids.

The councils said they were "disappointed" by Mr Heappey's decision, but said they remained confident of securing the funding and that their chosen projects would make a huge difference to these communities.

Here's everything you need to know:

What is the levelling up fund?

The government announced the £4.8bn levelling up fund in the 2021 Budget, with the money being made available in different rounds up to March 2025.

The first round of the fund, which focussed on "oven-ready" schemes to improve local infrastructure, saw success for Somerset County Council, which was awarded just over £10m to improve the "Bridgwater northern corridor" – including enhancing the Cross Rifles roundabout (where the A38 and A39 join) and delivering big improvements to the Dunball roundabout near junction 23 of the M5.

Successful bids in this current round have to meet one or more of the following three themes:

• Transport investments
• Regeneration and town centre investment
• Cultural investment

Bids to the levelling up fund have to be done on the basis of parliamentary constituency boundaries, rather than the boundaries of local councils – meaning councils have to work together and share the fruits of any successful bid.

Each successful bid can provide up to £20m for projects – but each MP can only support one bid for their constituency in each round.

Furthermore, different parts of the country are given different priorities for funding, with the intention being that successful bids target the area which most require investment and support.

What is being proposed?

The two councils submitted their joint bid for £19.3M on Thursday (August 4), supported by £2.4M of match funding from their own reserves.

In Cheddar, a number of key spaces within the Gorge will be improved to "create an enhanced visitor experience", providing more spaces where people can "dwell and interact" with this iconic Somerset tourist attraction.

A new travel hub will be created to "encourage and enable sustainable tourism", with the Strawberry Line traffic-free route being extended between the A371 Station Road and Old Bridge Lane to provide connections between local schools and new housing developments.

In Highbridge, the appearance of Highbridge and Burnham railway station will be improved to "create an attractive gateway to the town", with a new travel hub being created near the station to encourage sustainable transport and new active travel routes to connect Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea.

Both Bank Street and Market Street will be subject to "transformational change", allowing more events to be held there, with new community and recreational facilities to increase the amount of time people spend in the area and thereby benefit local businesses through increased footfall.

Finally, a new community centre will be created on Trowbridge Close within the existing Morlands estate to "enable pre-school activities, training in new skills and community participation."

In Shepton Mallet, a number of 'High Street gateways' will be created, with the appearance of the town centre being improved and better highway infrastructure being put in place to create "an attractive, welcoming, and inclusive space".

A travel hub with cycle storage, bus stops and real-time passenger information will be put in place, with new signs to tourist destinations and a further section of the Strawberry Line being delivered between Kent Lane and Ridge Road, leading towards Wells.

Improved crossings will also be implemented on the A37 and the A371 near the junction with Compton Road, providing "enhanced links" to the town centre and Kilver Court.

Across both districts, there will improved signage to point out visitor accommodation in Burnham-on-Sea, Brean and Berrow, connecting key tourist destinations with local places to stay.

A further section of the Strawberry Line – between Westbury-sub-Mendip and Easton – will be delivered as part of further active travel schemes, with online resources being provided to allow residents and tourists to plan their routes.

Finally, a travel hub will be created at the Avalon Marshes Centre near Glastonbury, allowing people to sustainably access Natural England's 'super nature reserve' on the Somerset Levels.

Why has Mr Heappey not supported the bid?

Mr Heappey – who was first elected to the Wells constituency in 2015 – claimed that the two councils had ignored advice from both himself and then-levelling up minister Neil O'Brien MP (who left his post on July 6 as part of the mass resignations from Boris Johnson's government).

Mr Heappey said the councils had squandered an "enormous opportunity" to improve these three settlements, in favour of "cosmetic improvements" to the two town centres and ignoring Cheddar's parking issues.

He said: "Regeneration in Shepton Mallet and Highbridge and a step change in the tourism offer at Cheddar were the right focus for the bid, and we were all in agreement on that from the outset.

"But as the months have gone by, I've been raising with the councils my growing concerns that plans for Highbridge and Shepton Mallet would not catalyse growth in the local economy or create more skilled jobs.

"While improving the appearance of the two town centres is hugely important and long overdue, when compared to other towns elsewhere in the country our pitch to the levelling up fund was less substantial and clearly unlikely win favour."

Mr Heappey held meetings with representatives from both councils on five occasions between March 26, 2021 and July 6, 2022.

Four weeks before the bid was ultimately submitted, he relayed comments from Mr. O'Brien that the bid was "unlikely to find favour" compared to "more imaginative bids from other towns" – but, he claims, the councils made "no meaningful changes" to the bid.

Mr Heappey was particularly scathing about the Cheddar element of the bid, arguing the efforts to promote walking and cycling would not be sufficient on their own to bring more tourists to the area.

Heading down into Cheddar Gorge

He said: "Increasing tourism in the village is a huge opportunity – Cheddar should be a stepping off point for adventure in the Mendips, as well as being a beautiful place to visit in its own right.

"But the idea that all new visitors to the village will arrive from Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare or Burnham-on-Sea by bus or bike is clearly ridiculous.

"Local residents are already deeply concerned by the way visitors park on residential streets across the village, and the erosion being caused by parking on the verges in the Gorge is damaging our star attraction.

"This bid should have prioritised a parking solution and improvements to the road layout that would have opened the door for huge growth in visitors without causing mayhem on Cheddar's roads.

"The Strawberry Line will be a brilliant addition to the economy, but the vast majority of visitors will drive to Cheddar. That's a reality we can't wish away, and I'm surprised the councils haven't prioritised it."

Mr Heappey has written to Sedgemoor leader Duncan McGinty, offering to help to develop "a more strategic bid" which "respects the needs of existing residents".

He concluded: "I cannot back a bid which will cause misery for so many of my constituents. Nor can I back something that we've already been told by the minister is unlikely to succeed."

How have the councils responded?

The two councils have pointed out that their areas were given 'priority one status' by the government for levelling up bids – meaning they are among the most likely areas to receive funding.

Additionally, the official levelling up fund prospectus – published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) – stipulates that the MP's support is not necessary for a bid to be submitted, or for it to be successful.

A spokesman for Sedgemoor District Council said: "We are proud to have brought together this joint bid which has the potential to deliver significant levelling up benefits in communities across Somerset.

"By supporting our local communities we can create new opportunities for people who live and work in Highbridge and Cheddar, and the wider district.

"We are grateful to everyone who has supported the bid, particularly local residents who engaged so positively with our consultations in Highbridge and Cheddar."

In these consultations, 98 per cent of respondents agreed the investment was being targeted at the right settlements.

Additionally, 84 per cent of Highbridge respondents agreed the chosen projects should be included, with the Cheddar proposals also attracting "broad support", with the new pedestrian and cycle routes "proving most popular".

The council said it "fully understood" residents' concerns about car parking and travel in and around Cheddar, but added that bids which focussed on this "would not meet the criteria" set out by the government.

A spokesman for Mendip District Council added: "By working together, the projects proposed in our joint bid offer opportunity and will have considerable positive impact on our communities.

"One of the significant areas of this bid is the extension and further improvements to the Strawberry Line, a much-used and -loved cycle route.

"This will enhance the tourism offering and provide connectivity between communities across both districts.

"These projects will make a real difference in Mendip, Sedgemoor, and Somerset."

What happens next?

DLUHC is expected to publish its decision on the latest round of levelling up fund bids in the autumn, with the money being released to successful councils early in 2023 and having to be spent in its entirely by March 2025.