Taunton station to be upgraded

[whole diary]

[Phantom]

Council considering loan for £multi-million revamp of Taunton Station



A COUNCIL risks shooting itself in the foot with proposals to lend millions of pounds of taxpayers' cash to redevelop Taunton Station, it is claimed.

A multi-million pound scheme would see improved passenger facilities, retail opportunities around a train/bus hub.

The main entrance would be re-sited from the north to the south side, linking in to the proposed Firepool project for homes, shops, bars and restaurants.

There would also be a multi-storey car park for train travellers at the station revamp, which has already attracted a Government pledge of £4.6 million funding.

Cllr Habib Farbahi, a LibDem on Conservative-run Taunton Deane Borough Council, said a "substantial amount" of council taxpayer money would be given as a loan to the project.

He added: "A high proportion will go towards the development of a multi-storey privately operated car park that will directly compete with the nearby council-owned Kilkenny Car Park."

Mr Farbahi added that the proposed loan, discussed behind closed doors by the council's scrutiny committee, is part of the authority's "unseemly rush...to spend millions of pounds of public money to be seen to have done something in their term of office".

He said that recently the Deane had approved almost £20 million for a 'Hotel California' project - it plans to build a hotel and lease it to an international chain, believed to be Hilton, although the name and exact sum are confidential, while a number of loans to the private sector are also being mooted.

A Deane House spokeswoman said: "The scrutiny committee was asked for its views on a confidential, commercial loan.

"The details of the loan remain confidential as they are commercially sensitive.

"The committee strongly supported the proposal with no votes against and one abstention. The proposal will now be further considered through the democratic process."

[JayMac]

The above is a news item from the Somerset County Gazette:

http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/16197088.OWN_GOAL__Taxpayer_cash_towards_station_car_park_in_competition_with_council_car_park_/

My own take? Council spends council tax revenue on project to improve town. Shock, horror. 

[JayMac]

More detailed plans for the Taunton station revamp, as well as the YMCA's project to refurbish and reopen the Great Western Hotel, have been revealed.

I missed this story when it was published last week hence it's a little too late to advertise the exhibition of the plans for the station, hotel, and the environs, which took place last Friday, 2nd November 2018.

Further details of the vision for the future of Taunton station can be read here:

https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/17193904.revealed-multi-million-pound-revamp-to-transform-taunton-station/

One point to pick up from that article. Whilst GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) may have staged the exhibtion last Friday, it is not they who will be funding and building the car park, north side ticket office and other works. The car park will most likely be funded jointly by Network Rail and the local authorities - Somerset County Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC). The station building works will be wholly Network Rail's remit. The hotel is being funded jointly by Somerset Coast YMCA and TDBC. The 'boulevard' plans linking the station with Firepool, Coal Orchard and ultimately the town centre are a long standing part of TDBC's 'Taunton Town Centre Area Action Plan', first drawn up in 2008. Funding for that is presumably from developers and TDBC.

JFDI^▸ (just flipping do it (polite version)) says I. The improved facilities are sorely needed. One sticking point is the stalled development of the former livestock market site on Priory Bridge Rd, derelict for 10 years since the market moved to a site near Bridgwater. The land is owned by TDBC, but there is currently no developer contract. The former contract with St Modwen, for a mixed use development - residential, retail and leisure - was ended earlier this year by mutual consent. This area would be part of the 'boulevard'. A new developer is not yet on board.

[Phantom]

......Coal Orchard and ultimately the town centre are a long standing part of TDBC's 'Taunton Town Centre Area Action Plan', first drawn up in 2008. Funding for that is presumably from developers and TDBC.

JFDI^▸ (just flipping do it (polite version)) says I. The improved facilities are sorely needed. One sticking point is the stalled development of the former livestock market site on Priory Bridge Rd, derelict for 10 years since the market moved to a site near Bridgwater. The land is owned by TDBC, but there is currently no developer contract. The former contract with St Modwen, for a mixed use development - residential, retail and leisure - was ended earlier this year by mutual consent. This area would be part of the 'boulevard'. A new developer is not yet on board.

Maybe I imagined it, but am sure a number of years ago Somerset CCC had some presentation that showed a path from the train station directly to opposite the cricket club entrance?

[Wilf19]

I would've thought that any path to the Cricket Ground from the station would go through the Firepool/the old livestock market - don't hold your breath!

.....
One point to pick up from that article. Whilst GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) may have staged the exhibtion last Friday, it is not they who will be funding and building the car park, north side ticket office and other works. The car park will most likely be funded jointly by Network Rail and the local authorities - Somerset County Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC). The station building works will be wholly Network Rail's remit. The hotel is being funded jointly by Somerset Coast YMCA and TDBC. The 'boulevard' plans linking the station with Firepool, Coal Orchard and ultimately the town centre are a long standing part of TDBC's 'Taunton Town Centre Area Action Plan', first drawn up in 2008. Funding for that is presumably from developers and TDBC. ....

Will be interesting to see if the car park is jointly funded by TDBC/SCC^‡(resolve)/Network Rail whether it will then be handed over to GWR/APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR - controlled stations in the area) Connect to let them pocket the parking charges! I hope not.

Like everyone else living in Taunton, I've watched the whole sorry saga for Firepool and - more recently - the station improvements talked about for a very long time. I'll believe it when I see it happening.

[JayMac]

A special full council meeting, open to the public, has been called by the Liberal Democrat group of Taunton Deane Borough Council to demand answers from the ruling Conservative party councillors over the failure to develop the Firepool site between the station and town centre.

LIB DEM COUNCILORS DEMAND ANSWERS ON FIREPOOL

The Taunton Deane Lib Democrats have called a Special Full Council to demand answers on the failure over the development of the former market site at Firepool. No only has it taken over a decade to achieve very little in terms of progress but our development partner, St Modwen, has now decided to no longer be involved.

We believe that the public deserves to know what is going on thus we have called this meeting.

The meeting will be at the Somerset Room at the Somerset County Cricket Club on 14th November at 6:30pm. If you’d like to attend/speak, please email partyorganiser@tdld.org.uk.

https://www.tdld.co.uk/press-releases/