A Somerset council is to spend £10,000 on creating public artwork to line a new active travel route in Shepton Mallet.

Mendip District Council has been working since June 2020 to reinstate and upgrade 14 "missing links" across the district, encouraging people across the district to walk or cycle to work or school, thereby reducing congestion and pollution.

The council has been bringing forward several proposals for promoting active travel in Shepton Mallet, including extensions to the Strawberry Line and improvements to Collett Park.

Now the council is calling on local artists to produce a new piece of public art which will line one of the new routes, with initial proposals needing to be submitted by early-November.

The new artwork is designed to make residents' contribution in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as acknowledging the importance of walking and cycling during the numerous lockdowns.

Half of the £10,000 budget for the artwork will be sourced from the council's Creative Mendip fund, with the other half coming from an anonymous donation from a local charitable foundation.

Up to £1,000 will be offered to cover the winning artist's installation costs, with £300 being paid to each of the three artists who are short-listed to cover the expenses of working up to a full submission.

The council has not confirmed the precise location of the active travel route, stating only that it will be on land in their ownership.

A consultation was held in October 2021 about the possible pedestrianisation of Shepton Mallet town centre, along with improvements to existing facilities within Collett Park and the East Mendip Way.

The council's planning board granted permission in December 2021 for a new stretch of the Strawberry Line through the car park of its Shepton Mallet headquarters – but progress on delivering this has been held up by delays in obtaining the relevant licences to carry out the work.

The board is expected to make a decision before the end of the year on plans for a new "missing link" route between the A37 Kilver Street Hill, over the B3136 Bath Road using the existing viaduct, and through a 120-metre tunnel before finishing near the Ham Wood Viaduct.

The council is currently awaiting the outcome of a £19.3m bid to the government's levelling up fund, which includes a commitment to delivering a further section of the Strawberry Line between Kent Lane and Ridge Road, leading towards Wells.

The cabinet voted in August to allocate £200,000 to delivering this new section – along with a separate stretch in Westbury-sub-Mendip – before Christmas.

To submit your bid for the public art project, or for more information, visit www.mendip.gov.uk/article/11220/Mendip-launches-public-art-commission, email [email protected] or call 07747 760076.

 Any expressions of interest must be submitted by November 4, with the funding being committed to the winning bid by December 31.