HOPES of securing Mineheads status as a key economic centre are at the heart of a new vision for the town aimed at ensuring its prosperity within the next decade.

More than £400,000 of funding has been earmarked to help deliver a series of projects, ranging from boosting the towns cultural reputation to helping budding young entrepreneurs.

The vision, still in its draft stage, is the result of more than eight months of work by a group of people representing local councils, organisations and businesses in Minehead.

It includes county, district and town councillors, Minehead Chamber of Trade, the West Somerset Community College and the Minehead Development Trust, which is behind plans to turn the towns soon to be redundant hospital into a cultural and community centre.

The groups vision is that by 2020 Minehead will be a thriving, prosperous, safe and attractive town, with access to quality services and facilities for residents, businesses and visitors alike.

And its priorities include the development of an overarching economic plan that builds on existing strategies and policies.

It wants to ensure that local people have access to the skills and training needed to realise their potential, secure employment or grow businesses.

The provision and development of cultural and leisure facilities and activities is another priority, along with good access to a range of services and facilities for residents of Minehead, the surrounding area and visitors.

The support of community safety initiatives has also been identified as important.

The package of funding includes £200,000 awarded to West Somerset Council in March this year through the Governments Sea Side Strategy - designed to tackle economic development and unemployment - as well as £20,000 from its Working Neighbourhoods Fund.

Almost £190,000 has been earmarked from planning gain cash, including £150,000 from the towns new Morrisons supermarket, specifically to improve walking and cycling access from the store to the town centre and to improve the viability and vitality of Mineheads existing retail heart.

Projects identified so far by the group include financial support to the Regal Theatres Lift Off Appeal, the enhancement of Blenheim Gardens through the refurbishment of the bandstand and staging more events, and help to draw up a business plan to move the old hospital project forward.

The appointment of a town centre development officer and the restoration of a Victorian nursery at Clanville Gardens as a community and tourist attraction are also among the possible projects that could be taken forward.

Minehead Town Council held an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday to discuss the new vision and councillors gave the principles of it their support.

They also recommended that the cultural projects, including the initiatives involving the Regal Theatre, Blenheim Gardens and old hospital should be supported.

But the council also came up with its own wish list, which included improving seating on the seafront, the appointment of a parish lengthsman to keep a check on public open spaces and a major overhaul of Mineheads public toilets.

In addition, councillors said they wanted to see help for fledgling businesses, particularly support for young entre- preneurs, with locally run start-up courses, and the provision of a BMX track to replace the facility lost with the construction of the new Morrisons.

The councils views will be fed back to the group behind the vision and the district councils cabinet will eventually be asked to endorse the initiative, the priorities and future actions.