Project Taunton

Project Taunton is managing the delivery of high quality, sustainable regeneration of four key areas of Somerset’s principal town, comprising approximately 50 hectares of under-utilised land.

Taunton is one of the best connected towns in the South West. It boasts excellent national and international connections, located under two miles from J25 of the M5, under an hour’s drive to two international airports and just over 1.5 hours to London Paddington by train.

The main development areas are:

• Firepool.  This scheme is set to become the new commercial heart of Taunton and the first phase of town’s regeneration. Designated a strategic employment site, Firepool comprises 6.7 hectares of brownfield land, incorporating the former livestock market adjacent to the town centre mainline railway. It will provide high quality office and residential developments alongside the River Tone, complemented by retail and leisure facilities. St Modwen signed a development agreement with Taunton Deane Borough Council in April 2009 and have started infrastructure works on site.
• The Cultural Quarter is starting to benefit from major improvements to existing facilities, plus the development of new public spaces (including Castle Green and Somerset Square), riverside walkways and cycle paths, provision for independent shops, cafes, creative workshops and apartments.  The Museum of Somerset in Taunton’s medieval castle is due to reopen in Spring 2011 and exciting plans for the reconfiguration of the Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre have been developed.
• The central retail area is currently the subject of an important study which will result in major redevelopment around the High Street, providing 50% more retail space.  New shops, leisure facilities and public spaces will help shoppers reconnect with the town centre environment and attract visitors from the surrounding areas.
• Tangier provides an opportunity for edge of town mixed-use development: an ideal riverside location for businesses seeking flexible managed office space, for shopping and high quality homes.
• Each of the development areas are linked by the River Tone.  A fundamental part of the regeneration is to improve access to and along the river.

Project Taunton is one of the largest town centre regeneration programmes in the South West. It is planned that the regeneration will create at least 7,000 new jobs, 80,000m² of new employment space, 50,000m² of new retail space and more than 2,000 new homes in the town centre. It will also support at least 18,000 new homes across the whole of Taunton

Sustainability
Many regeneration schemes claim to be sustainable, but Project Taunton is truly pioneering.  Exacting standards have been set for developers in the ground breaking ‘Taunton Protocol’, endorsed by eminent environmentalist Jonathon Porritt. The document outlines Taunton’s unique stance on sustainable development, and is set to become an exemplary model for the country as a whole.

Developers involved in the regeneration will be expected to sign up to the Protocol, which covers a range of elements, from design and build, to power generation, sustainable lifestyles and biodiversity.
To find out more information about Project Taunton, visit www.projecttaunton.co.uk