Rainbow inclusivity pathway planned for Taunton

A bright rainbow-coloured path will be painted to put a town on the "inclusivity map".

Somerset West and Taunton Council has published proposals for the path between Bridge Street and Goodland Gardens along the River Tone.

The path will feature the Pride and Progress colours which include brown and black to reflect ethnic diversity.

The aim is to make Taunton feel more inclusive and welcoming to people who may have felt marginalised in the past.

The painting along the 203 ft (62 m) stretch should last for 15 years without the need for maintenance, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Derek Perry, who oversees the area's sports, parks and leisure portfolio said: "The rainbow path will include the 'Progress' colours, which will add a chevron along the hoist that features black, brown, light blue, pink, and white stripes to bring those communities (of marginalised people) to the forefront.

"The arrow points to the right to show forward movement, while being along the left edge shows that progress is being made."

The path will run from the southern side of Bridge Street up to the Mill Stream bridge at the entrance of Goodland Gardens.

Unlike other parts of Somerset, like Portishead and Weston-super-Mare, Taunton's rainbow painting will not include the road crossings, which the council feared would be "a distraction to motorists and pedestrians".

Funding for the project will come from Taunton's emergency town centre recovery fund - although the council has not confirmed how much it will cost.

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