A CULTURAL venue - with a gallery, restaurant, studios and places to stay - is on track to open this summer.

East Quay, which overlooks the marina in Watchet, is being developed by the Onion Collective.

The Onion Collective, a social enterprise, was set up in 2013 when plans for a major development of flats on the marina had fallen through.

The group has since built a visitor centre, restored boat museum, created a community garden from a derelict field, built a pavilion with 50 volunteers and started a project called Watchet Community Makers.

And now they are in the process of building the East Quay development on the quayside.

Somerset County Gazette: Onion Collective, East Quay, Watchet

Georgie Grant, co-director of the Onion Collective, said they are looking forward to welcoming people into this new space.

“We’re excited that we are on track to open this summer, especially with the challenges presented by Covid, so we’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved to in helping us to get to this point," she said.

"Once we open, we will be looking forward to inviting you all to see the wonderful exhibition by Neville Gabie called More Together Than Alone, which will display over 100 bottles from the Watchet community as well as pieces from other artists responding to the theme of community."

East Quay is designed by Invisible Studio and Ellis Williams Architects, landscape architects LT Studio, and engineers Momentum.

Somerset County Gazette: Onion Collective, East Quay, Watchet

The building will include the gallery and studios alongside outdoor public walkways which will lead to small terraces and viewing areas.

There will also be five accommodation pods inspired by Watchet and two of which will stand on stilts above the building.

The interiors are designed by Fearze Ltd, and they will invite guests to "swap objects", "join in with an art piece" or "play with the furniture".

Currently artists who are renting out the studios include Two Rivers Paper (handmade paper makers), Geckoella (who will run a fossil workshop), Albatross Studio (a fine art print making studio) and more.

Somerset County Gazette: Onion Collective, East Quay, Watchet

Visitors will be able to see makers at work as well as stay in the pods, eat at the restaurant and join in on all the events.

For more visit onioncollective.co.uk/eastquay-development-watchet.