New plans for Taunton Brewhouse area put forward
Taunton Deane Borough Council has received a detailed planning application for development on land at Coal Orchard in Taunton. This will not have been a surprise to the council, mainly because the application was prepared by the council`s own business development team working in partnership with developer Mace. This application forms the first phase in the development of the Coal Orchard site. This will be complemented by a refurbishment of the Brewhouse which together will create a new place on the river with culture at its heart.
The Coal Orchard scheme is for the area around the Brewhouse Theatre bordering onto the river and with a mix of restaurants on the waterfront, retail units, gym, and apartments will be a significant development that will hold the key to the future of our county town. A lot is riding on this development. As retailing in town centres declines – and there are plenty of empty units on Taunton’s High Streets that testify to that – so the importance of the way the space is used increases. The redesign of the Coal Orchard, if TDBC get it right, could become a major draw to the town from the surrounding countryside and to tourists from beyond. Gte it wrong and Taunton will fast decline into a ghost town, a shadow of its former self.
This site already has outline planning consent so this application will complete the planning process providing the detail and if granted this will allow works to get under way in early 2019.
The application – reference number 38/18/0185 – is available for inspection at Taunton Deane Borough Council’s offices in Belvedere Road, Taunton, and online at http://www.tauntondeane.gov.uk The public has until Friday June 22 to comment on the application – this can be done by letter, by email or online at http://www.tauntondeane.gov.uk