The welcome funding boost for Midsomer Norton's High Street will include some money set aside for 'cultural activities' to bring people back onto the pavements.

Meantime it has been fully revealed how the money for Midsomer compares to other streets in the South West given money in the scheme.

From a total of total of £12,788,015 in the region, the following awards were made:

Plymouth £1,994,638

Gloucester £1,905,000

Cullompton £1,103,314

Midsomer Norton £793,000

Keynsham £1,100,000

Chard £1,000,000

Redruth £1,689,063

Weston-super-Mare £1,100,000

Poole £625,000

Tewkesbury £1,478,000

High Streets Minister Kelly Tolhurst MP said at the time of the money being awarded. " Our high streets are the beating heart of our communities and, now more than ever, have a crucial role to play in helping our towns and cities to recover from the pandemic.

"This new funding will help to transform and restore historic buildings, creating new homes, shops and community spaces, and reinvigorating local high streets up and down the country.

Historic England has given its statement on how the money will be delivered and managed.

It writes : "Sixty eight historic high streets across England have been offered government funding to give them a new lease of life and help them recover from declining footfall and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The £95 million government-funded High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) programme, which is delivered by Historic England, will unlock the potential of these high streets, fuelling economic, social and cultural recovery.

"The lead partners for the schemes (mostly local authorities) are working with Historic England to develop and deliver schemes that will transform and restore disused and dilapidated buildings into new homes, shops, work places and community spaces, restoring local historic character and improving public realm.

"The High Streets Heritage Action Zone initiative is funded with £40 million from the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport's Heritage High Street Fund and £52 million from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's Future High Street Fund. A further £3 million will be provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a cultural programme.

"Historic buildings on our high streets give great character to local towns and cities, making each distinctive and appealing to people. Up to 48% of the nation's retail stock was built before 1919 and the loss of business occupiers in these historic buildings is placing them at risk and undermining the character, local identity and viability of the high street.

"On top of this £95 million, the government's unprecedented £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund will help to tackle the impact the pandemic has had on our most loved arts organisations and heritage sites and breathe new life into historic high streets across the country."

The HSHAZ scheme includes £7.4 million to fund four years of cultural activities to engage communities with their local high streets. The Cultural Programme is led by Historic England, in partnership with The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England.

The money will fund two arms of the programme, the first is grants distributed through groups set up by Local Authority partners. They will work with artists and creative organisations local to the high streets to develop their ideas.