Taunton Urban Design Framework - Taunton Deane Borough Council

Culture & LeisureCricket ClubThe importance of the County Cricket Club to Taunton washighlighted in the original Taunton Vision and reinforcedthrough the town centre audit and our consultationexercises. The Club has ambitions to host internationalcricket matches. Although the cricket ground has a sizablecricket square (giving long east-west boundaries), it isconstrained in a north-south direction by the River Tone atone end and the graveyard of St James’ church in thesouth. Hosting international cricket requires a largerplaying area and increased seating capacity. There is astrong desire from the Cricket Club to remain within thetown centre but this will require substantial improvementsto the current ground.Brewhouse TheatreThe Brewhouse Theatre is an important cultural and leisurefacility within the town centre. It is constrained in terms ofits facilities and in particular it has only one performancespace and no fly tower. This limits the companies andproductions it can host. There is general agreement that itspotential for expansion has been exhausted. A fly towerwould be unacceptable in this sensitive location (in closeproximity to the church tower) and other physicalconstraints would make it difficult to accommodate therequirements of a modern theatre on its current site. Anew multi-purpose arts venue is therefore required.Castle GreenCastle Green is a natural focus for cultural activity in thetown centre. It is surrounded by the Castle Museum, theMunicipal Buildings, Castle Hotel, Hunts Court and MeccaBingo building. The strategy seeks to concentrate culturalactivity in this area to create a cluster of attractions, linkedto the river and to the core retail area. The bus station sitepresents a further opportunity for cultural and communityfacilities. Castle Green needs to be enhanced as an eventspace, as do the gateways from key streets such asCorporation Street.Cricket ClubBrewhouse SquareCastle GreenTaunton UDF Section 2 Opportunities19