CARNIVAL clubs in Bridgwater could benefit from brand new carnival sheds and a dedicated carnival museum.

The ideas were featured in a master plan by Sedgemoor District Council to regenerate land to the east of the A38, which includes 'Carnival City'.

The report describes the current carnival sheds as “substandard” and adds “replacement with simple new sheds would enhance the reputation of the carnival as a world leading event”.

Nick Tait, Team Leader for Planning Policy at SDC, told the Mercury the council will be undertaking extensive consultation with the carnival clubs over the next few weeks.

He added: “We're not going to do anything they don't want. This is about talking to the people who know carnival the best and finding out what works for them.

“There's a lot of secrecy surrounding carnival and the clubs may not be comfortable with a site that can be accessed by the public.”

Mr Tait said the carnival committee had expressed interest in finding a larger premises for a carnival museum to house larger exhibits and that this could be considered for the same site.

The idea would be to keep the carnival sheds in the same area, but improve the layout for better access and to free up excess land for development.

The money from the sale of the spare land would fund the new modern carnival sheds and possibly a museum.

Dave Stokes, Bridgwater Carnival publicity officer, told the Mercury: “Anything which will enhance the future of the carnival tradition is something which is definately worth considering.

“We are interested in the idea and will await consultation.”

Nigel Perry, chairman of Crusaders Carnival Club, said: “I would welcome any extra funding for carnival and we could do with some improved sheds.

“However, there's not much space there at the moment, especially in terms of parking to work on the carts, and this would need to be considered.

“There have been a number of thefts from carnival sheds in the past and I think security should also be a priority.

“Overall, I think looking at improving the area is a good idea.”