Walking the walk
Taunton Deane Borough Council does a lot of talking. Plans come and plans go. There is lots and lots of talking about ideas. There is however more than a slight tendency to never quite get around to doing anything.
One of the problems exercising TDBC is to find a useful way of using the spare space in their office building. At least to generate some sort of income. For over two years there has been talk of office development and the possibility of the Police moving in.
Now at last something has happened.
Avon & Somerset police have announced that they will move into Deane House next month. The new police station will contain a police enquiry desk, a base for local police officers and the coroner’s office.
The police enquiry desk will open 8:30-4.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 9:30-4.30pm Wednesday.
This is the second new Police Station announced for Somerset within a week, after plans were revealed for a new station in Yeovil on Monday.That means the old police station can be completely abandoned and sold off for redevelopment or to be rented out.
John Williams, TDBC Leader has been under some pressure from his councillors. This at least brings a moment where that pressure has been lifted a little, “We are looking forward to having the police join us in the building where together we can offer local people greater convenience by having multiple services under one roof; and it guarantees a new police station remaining in Taunton for the foreseeable future.”
But they have a long way to go before TDBC can offer the sort of service hub that has been so successful for Mendip in Shepton Mallet.