PLANS for retirement flats on Taunton’s waterfront could be thrown out by the borough council next week.

Hampshire-based developer Churchill Retirement Living has acquired a site off Tangier Way, next to the River Tone, which was formerly home to a Lidl supermarket.

The company has applied for permission to renovate the vacant site and build a block of 72 retirement flats there.

But Taunton Deane Borough Council’s planning committee could put a stop to that when it meets on Wednesday (August 15), claiming the design would not compliment the riverside and other buildings in the area.

The site has been vacant since Lidl moved in December 2015 to a new purpose-built outlet on Castle Way, on the other side of the river.


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The flats are designed to accommodate people aged 60 and over, with their partner being able to move in if they themselves are aged 55 or above.

Churchill’s own statistics suggest that most of the potential residents would be aged 70 or over,  who “already live locally and wish to live independently”.

Residents will be able to socialise in communal areas, and up to 37 car parking spaces will be provided – just under half the amount that was laid on with the Lidl store.

Somerset County Gazette:
PROPOSAL: From Churchill Retirement Living

In documents released ahead of the planning committee meeting, the council’s officers said they were minded to refuse the flats because of its visual impact on the town centre.

A spokesperson said: “The proposed development, by reason of its design and mass, will detract from the character of the area in terms of the river frontage and the road frontage.

“The latter will be dominated by car parking provision, detracting from the setting of the building.

“The scheme is not considered of a sufficiently high quality for such a predominant site in Taunton’s townscape.”

The council’s view has been supported by the Design Review Panel, a collection of independent planning experts who assess the design of developments across the south west.

In a statement, the panel argued that the flats  “do not project any strong statement in terms of design or identity”.

They described the aesthetic of the flats as “retro”, criticised the size of the proposed gardens, and said that the designs “do not demonstrate an enhancement to the site or the immediate setting”.


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The Environment Agency has also objected to the plans on the grounds of “insufficient information” being provided about drainage.

A spokesperson said that it was “unclear” as to how quickly water would be discharged from the development, and questioned whether there was sufficient capacity to store excess water on site.

Craig Riddle from the Somerset Waste Partnership said that the design of the flats may lead to Tangier Way becoming blocked at collection times.

He said: “We are raising concerns over the proposed collection and return of at least 16 wheeled bins from the main road (the A3087 Tangier Way).

“We would block the road here while making collections, which we estimate could take up to 20 minutes per collection.

“This would cause danger to our collection crews and members of public using the road.”

Taunton Deane Borough Council’s planning committee will meet to discuss the plans at West Monkton Church of England Primary School on August 15 from 6.15pm. The public are welcome to attend.