PROPOSALS for a riverside development of restaurants and bars, independent shops, work hubs and apartments have been blasted as “cloud cuckoo land”.

A consultant’s report suggests creating a “new place on the river” on Taunton’s Coal Orchard, beside the Brewhouse theatre, and on the site of St James’s swimming pool.

Councillors are discussing the document this week, but commercial property owner Brian Haimes said the project would lead to shop closures elsewhere in town due to the loss of parking spaces.

Mr Haimes said: “It’s cloud cuckoo land, absolute madness.

“The council has been on about developing Firepool for eight or nine years, during which time there’s been not one additional job created as far as I’m aware.

“They’ve not managed to attract these jobs, so they’ve gone on to another thing at Coal Orchard.

“It’s easy for politicians to say, ‘We’ll have this and we’ll have that’, but they’ve got to think sensibly about what they’re doing.

“The loss of car parking spaces would crucify the town centre – everybody in the business says we need plentiful and affordable convenient car parking and every ten spaces we lose is perhaps equivalent to closing another shop.

“Councillors need to sit down with commercial agents and larger property owners in the town and ask, ‘What do you think’ rather than paying tens of thousands of pounds on consultants from outside the area.”

Independent district councillor Ian Morrell said there is an urgent need to stimulate Taunton town centre, adding: “But the proposed cost of the retail units seem rather expensive if wanting to attract independent traders.

“In addition, further reduction in car parking can only be bad for a town suffering from the absence of a meaningful highways strategy.”

A report to councillors claims the scheme would boost the “overall vitality and viability” of the town centre, complementing plans for shops, offices, leisure facilities and homes on nearby Firepool.

It suggests construction could be carried out in three phases between late 2017 and mid 2019, starting on the site of St James’s Pool, which is due to close when a new pool is completed at Blackbrook Pavilion.

A Taunton Deane Council spokeswoman says the Coal Orchard regeneration is part of a larger scheme to return the River Tone to being the county town’s “focal point”.

She added: “Coal Orchard is ‘a link in a chain’ of town centre redevelopment proposals and its special character, sometimes described as ‘bohemian’, is fundamental to its future.

“There may be a reduction in car parking in the area but this will depend on the final design. There are a number of public car parks very nearby – Canon Street, where extra spaces have been provided, Wood Street and a planned large car park at Firepool.”

She said that options for the swimming pool included mothballing or demolishing it, with all options being “carefully considered”.

A full planning application could be submitted within a year, with consent determined by mid 2017.

Cllr Mark Edwards, Executive Councillor for Business Development, said: “Coal Orchard is key element of the Taunton Town Centre Rethink document which has had considerable public airing and support. The Community Scrutiny Committee that met on Tuesday night to consider the report was very positive

“It is a vital element of the whole regeneration proposals for the Firepool area and railway station enabling people to walk through an attractive environment linking the existing town centre and Firepool. We have also protected the space around the Brewhouse Theatre and down to the river to accommodate growth in size and facilities if that were to be the conclusion of any future report.

“I must stress that these are only proposals, all will be subject to full public consultation and planning to enable people to get involved and have their say in shaping the future of our county town centre. I hope people will take the time to understand what is proposed before criticising.”