Finishing touches are now being added to Weston’s new creative and digital hub ahead of its formal launch next month.

The Stable is being set up in the former Heritage building in Wadham Street, and is viewed by North Somerset Council as a key part of its town centre regeneration programme.

Council leaders were awarded a £460,000 grant towards the project last year from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, and that money has been used to buy the building and fund an extensive refurbishment of the former Badger Centre above the Heritage café.

That work is now almost complete, and the hub is on track for its unveiling date in September.

When it opens next month, The Stable will run independently of the council as the Hub Weston Community Interest Company, and will offer a range of facilities, services and support to people in the digital, technological and creative sectors.

Co-working space will be available on a daily and monthly basis to freelancers, micro and start-up businesses on flexible and low-risk terms.

Networking events and support will also be available to Stable members to help get their fledgling businesses off the ground.

Stable manager Kerry O’Neill said: “Graphic designers, a science writer and editor, a mobile tech company, freelance photographers and designers, and film editors are among those who have already expressed an interest.

“Local people interested in providing business support and services have also been in touch.”

And Elfan Ap Rees, the council’s executive member for economic development, said: “The Stable will bring a new cultural dimension to the town centre, nurturing the creative talent already in the Weston area and hopefully attracting new residents and businesses to relocate.

“This supports the council’s bold ambition for Weston which focuses on increasing the number of people living in good quality housing in the town and boosting the demand for shops and services, as well as expanding the town’s learning and leisure opportunities to create a more prosperous and vibrant town centre.”

To find out more, or to register your interest in becoming a member of The Stable, visit www.thestableweston.com