BEN Bradshaw, the newly-appointed Minister for the South West, is in Taunton on Friday on a fact finding mission about future developments in the town.

Mr Bradshaw will meet Ian Franklin, Project Director of Project Taunton, which will see thousands of new homes, retail and leisure facilities built in the coming years.

The MP will be given a guided tour of sites earmarked for development, including Firepool, Tangier and The County Ground.

Mr Franklin said: "The visit is an important opportunity for Taunton to demonstrate its pioneering regeneration that will reinforce its position, geographically and commercially, as the true heart of the South-West."

Taunton MP Jeremy Browne has welcomed Mr Bradshaw's visit.

He said: "The next few years are very important for the future of Taunton.

"There is a real prospect of attracting new prosperity to the town and providing more employment opportunities.

"I am very supportive of Project Taunton and it is essential that it succeeds.

"It will regenerate large parts of the town and provide much needed new housing and other investment.

"Taunton is ideally located to attract new businesses. It has excellent transport links on the M5 and the inter-city railway as well as being right in the centre of the South-West region."