Cllr welcomes plans to turn Taunton car park into flats

Somerset Council agreed as part of its annual budget (set in February) to sell off large amounts of underutilised land, property and other assets in order to balance its books.

The government has allowed the council to use the proceeds from these sales to fund day-to-day services (under a ‘capitalisation directive’), with £36.9m of receipts being built into the 2024/25 budget.

One of the proposals involves selling off the High Street car park in Taunton (also known as the Mary Street car park), with the existing structure being demolished and then redeveloped into housing.

This proposal has been welcomed by local councillor John Hunt, who has argued it will help address lingering issues of antisocial behaviour in this part of the town.

The multi-storey car park lies off the A38 Upper High Street in the town centre, next to the Quantock House retirement flats and opposite a separate multi-storey car park above the Orchard Shopping Centre.

There is multi-storey opposite the High Street car park. (Image: Newsquest)

The car park has been subject to antisocial behaviour issues for many years and was damaged in a recent fire.

Mr Hunt represents the Bishop’s Hull and Taunton West division as an independent – the division which includes both multi-storey car parks and a large portion of the town centre.

He made his comments when the council’s executive committee met in Taunton to discuss the planned asset sales on August 5.

He said: “I have had many complaints – particularly from the Platinum Skies residents who are next door, of course – about the antisocial behaviour in that particular car park. An alternative use for that site is a good idea from that perspective.

“There is a concern from other residents about the loss of parking. I appreciate the Orchard multi-storey will take much of that, but there is a concern.

“I believe there is a pre-application discussion going on, but I’d like it if we could look at a height restriction on whatever building goes there.

“Quantock House is quite an overpowering building, and it would help a lot for the skyline and the appeal of Taunton if we put some kind of height restriction on whatever comes through in terms of planning.”

Councillor John Hunt (Independent, Bishop's Hull and Taunton West). (Image: Somerset Council)

Oliver Woodhams,  the council’s service director for strategic asset management, replied: “We are pretty confident that loss of parking would be absorbed by surplus capacity elsewhere in the town.

“The point about height restrictions is really a matter for planning, not this executive.”

Where an asset is sold, all existing leases will remain in place under the same terms unless otherwise stated – meaning the businesses and groups currently based on site will have a new landlord but not have to relocate.

The full list of sites which are on the chopping block are as follows:

• Land near Hill View School, Ash
• Cornhill Complex, Cornhill, Bridgwater
• Land at Thorney Marsh, Castle Cary
• Boden Mill, A358 Silver Street, Chard
• The Boden Centre, Boden Street, Chard
• Land south of Forton, nr. Chard
• Down’s Farm, Donyatt
• Land near Evercreech Church of England Primary School, Evercreech
• Land at Manor Farm, Kitchens Lane, Lopen
• Leaze Farm, Wharfside, Lympsham
• Land at Splatt Farm, Splatt Lane, Spaxton
• The Market House, A3027 Fore Street, Taunton
• Part of Firepool site, Canal Road, Taunton
• High Street car park, Old Pig Market, Taunton
• C Block, County Hall, The Crescent, Taunton
• 55 North Street, Wellington
• Unit 4, Blackdown Business Park, Sylvan Road, Wellington
• Roughmoor Enterprise Centre, Roughmoor, Williton
• 11 South Street, Wiveliscombe
• Fiveways Resource Centre, A37 Ilchester Road, Yeovil
• Yeovil Small Business Centre, Memorial Road, Yeovil

The sale of these sites is expected to generate between £17m and £21m for the council over the next 12 to 18 months.

Councillor Sarah Wakefield, portfolio holder for adult social care, said: “These are non-operational assets – people need to understand that we’re not using these assets ourselves.

“I for one am saddened that this is the way that councils have to work now, but what people need to understand, of course, is that these assets cost us money.

“They may being in rent, but at times they are empty or elderly buildings that need a lot of work doing them.

“Assets costs money to manage, and I think very few councils can afford to hold onto assets that will cost them money.

“With the councils coming together, we were going to have too much stuff, too many offices, too many places that we no longer need to use.”

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, portfolio holder for communities, housing and culture, said she was sad to see the Market House go but was hopeful for the building’s future.

She said: “That building will exist whether we own it or someone else owns it – and it may benefit by being in other people’s hands, who can look at doing something innovative with it.”