DOUGLAS Cordeaux, of Fox Brothers, has been appointed chairman of campaigning group TauntonForward.

He succeeds Dr John Newton, of Taunton School, who is moving to Australia next month.

Mr Cordeaux said: “I am thrilled to have been asked to take up this exciting position.

“As a young man I trained at Somerset College, then called SCAT, and the town had a real vibrancy; it was a place you wanted to live in.

“Now, when I meet my clients at the station I turn left, not into town, and I keep going until I see the sign that says ‘place of outstanding beauty’.

“I want that to change, I want to bring those big investors through the town and feel that pride I used to feel when I walked through Taunton all those years ago.

“We are surrounded by beautiful countryside and all roads lead to Taunton.

“I completely adopt the idea that Taunton now needs to start ‘thinking like a city’ and aspire to the vision that TauntonForward presents.

“We can make this happen; our membership is strong and very proactive and we invite anyone to join us who wishes to see Taunton not just return to its former glory, but become a destination of choice in the future.”