Taunton Urban Design Framework - Taunton Deane Borough Council

Station BoulevardCommercial CoreThe cattle market area of Firepool is the area with thegreatest potential for commercial development. It is closeto the railway station and the town centre, has substantialareas of waterfront and has good motorway connections.The area between the station and the river is therefore thefocus for new office provision.Station Boulevard leads from the station to a new spaceon the riverfront. It will be a dynamic new commercialheart for the town and a vibrant arrival point. As visitorsenter Station Boulevard they will have direct views to thenew cricket stand, the new civic square and the historictowers which mark the Taunton skyline. High quality officebuildings will front the boulevard. Shops, bars andrestaurants will be encouraged at street level. Townhousesand apartments will bring life to the area in the evening.Regional AssemblySomerset County Council and Taunton Deane BoroughCouncil are major employers. If regional (elected)government is introduced it is important for the economyof Taunton that it seek to attract the Regional Assembly tothe town. Firepool provides an appropriate, high profileand highly accessible, location for the Regional Assemblyor for central government departments seeking to relocate.Taunton should therefore be well placed to capitalise onsuch inward investment opportunities.Civic SquareAt the heart of Station Boulevard is a contemporary civicsquare, providing space for events and retail activity. It willbe a focus for public art in the town centre, and willprovide a setting for the Regional Assembly (or other highprofile employer).HotelTaunton does not have a large business quarter that wouldsupport an additional hotel within the town centre. Therehas however been growth in out of town provision andthere is latent demand from existing operators in the towncentre who are keen to expand. A new hotel could besupported by the growth in employment proposed, and bythe increased leisure activity in the town centre.Urban RiverfrontAn attractive urban quayside will be overlooked by officesand apartments, with the potential for shops and bars atground level. A new urban space is proposed on theriverfront. This space, and a new footbridge, will linkStation Boulevard to the hotel and Cricket Club on thesouth bank.Car ParkA new 650 space car park is provided to serve the hotel,the new offices, the cricket ground and the town centre.Apartments will ‘skin’ the car park to provide activityfronting the street and overlooking of the riverfront andPriory Bridge Road.44 Areas of Change - FirepoolSection 4Taunton UDF