Taunton: Plans for new cycle bridge at Coal Orchard shelved

Plans for a new cycle bridge in Taunton have been sent back to the drawing board after negative feedback.

More than 600 residents signed a petition against the bridge that was proposed between the Morrisons bandstand and the Coal Orchard site.

Somerset West and Taunton Council proposed the plans as part of the Firepool regeneration last November.

Somerset Council have now withdrawn the plans before going to a public consultation.

The bridge plan was hoping to deliver safe car-free travel routes between the railway station and the town centre, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Concerns were raised in the petition about the bridge's look, with local resident Martin Paikes telling a full council meeting in February that the bridge would be "quite a large and ugly structure".

Cycling campaign groups in Taunton had conditionally backed the new bridge but also had concerns about the design.

A spokesperson for the Taunton Area Cycling Campaign (TACC) said: "The proposed new location allows the narrow section of path behind the county cricket ground to be avoided by the expected high walking and cycling flows, especially on match days.

"We are aware of some of the design concerns with the current proposal and agree that a more sympathetic design should be found, and design issues addressed...

"The Firepool development will push significantly higher demand onto the current inadequate bridge."

The government allocated £13.9m from the future high streets fund for projects in Taunton, with the money being divided between the Coal Orchard and Firepool regeneration sites and delivering new active travel routes throughout the town centre.

A Somerset Council spokesperson said: "Having considered all public comments and stakeholder views, it has been decided not to progress this application.

"The team has revisited bridge options and is in the process of determining a new proposal and is likely to result in a new planning application in 2024.

"We are still pursuing this project and have been able to secure an extension for using this funding into the 2024/25 financial year."

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