Consultation begins on thousands of Taunton Deane homes (From This is The West Country)

By consultation they mean we have already decided what we are doing but we must be seen to listen to the local residents just to look good.
Already way too many houses being built in Taunton and as more businesses are closing than opening its obvious its just another town to live and commute elsewhere.
Question to the powers that be, why can't you put houses and flats on the old market site as I cannot see firms queueing to build there and looking at the abortion that is Viridors head office I would rather not see any more offices.

Build the homes elsewhere, we need more businesses and industries first.

More homes means more strain on the roads, schools and health services, Taunton is already at breaking point and is fast becoming a ghost town with all the shops that are closing.

FreeSpeech? wrote:
By consultation they mean we have already decided what we are doing but we must be seen to listen to the local residents just to look good.
Already way too many houses being built in Taunton and as more businesses are closing than opening its obvious its just another town to live and commute elsewhere.
Question to the powers that be, why can't you put houses and flats on the old market site as I cannot see firms queueing to build there and looking at the abortion that is Viridors head office I would rather not see any more offices.

This post kind of contradicts itself in that there is a problem with people living in Taunton yet commuting elsewhere but in the same breath says they don't want any more offices!

Read properly and you will see that I meant if the offices are going to look like Viridors then don't bother building them. Just like to point out that not everyone works in an office and I for one am fed up with TDBC thinking attracting industry and employment here means offices and pencil necks.

Attract industry & employment create jobs put money into peoples pockets which will then be spent in the town ( one hopes) and make Taunton more prosperous. And entice more shops into the area make the town where people would like to do there shopping. So what will we need '' more housing'' for all the employment this will create Why do we need consultation . The council never listen. Perhaps we should talk to the people in Bridgwater who are creating a vibrate town for business on Bristol road with Thousands of jobs come on Taunton wake up before it's to late

More 'Rabbit Hutches' to become the Slums of the future.

Is it a case of build a new home - provide more roads? Taunton is nightmmare to get into - what will happen with more commuters? Oh forgot - the town cemter will be dead - no one will need to get into it.
They need to resolve the traffic issues first - not put up more house to cause more traffic chaos

Why is there such demand for new homes?
a)Most people now have more than two children, often I see three, four or more! They all grow up eventually and want to start their own family too.
b)More and more people live as single parents or on their own, usually after splitting with their partners/spouses, so more individual homes required rather than a traditional nuclear family living under one roof.

More houses are required to generate council tax so that public sector pensions are secure. Some modern houses are already showing signs that major repairs could be likely in 10 to 15 years time. Perhaps the rush to build houses is for the expected rush of workers for the new power station at Hinkley Point, who will then eventually leave the area to move on to their next project. The baby boomers are now reaching the stage where they will start to drop off their perches resulting in many more houses becoming available. In ten to twenty years time we may find that there are more houses than purchasers as many immigrants return to their own countries to live on the funds being earned in the UK but sent home to support their families. Councils do not understand, 'The First Law of Sustainability', which states, 'Population growth and/or growth in the rate of consumption of resources CANNOT BE SUSTAINED'. I have yet to find anyone in the public sector that can explain what they mean by, 'Sustainable Housing'. Perhaps someone can enlighten me. In the meantime, the govenment needs to generate income and council tax from massive house building appears to be their answer to growth. We now see that building on flood plains is becoming a major problem for home owners experiencing water damage, perhaps we should demand that the developers of these properties take responsibility for any damage and not the insurance industry. The recent flooding should be a warning where not to build homes. (I suppose it is possible to put mooring posts at the end of each pathway).

Thurza wrote:
More 'Rabbit Hutches' to become the Slums of the future.

They become slums before the builders have left!
The buy to let market has ruined the quality of the neighbourhoods, the owners don't want to spend a penny on their up-keep & the tenants don't care about looking after them as it's not their house/responsibility
.
Therefore the rented properties quickly become scruffy and start on a downward spiral, letting down those owner/occupiers who do take pride in where they live and effecting their property values as well.

The decision locally is where to build houses, not whether or not to build them. I haven't looked at the plans but I'm sure the general Firepool area is in there for Taunton, which includes the road linking from the old rugby ground to station road and across to Staplegrove road. Redevelopment of a brown field site (even if they've been talking about it for years and years) and some improved highway infrastructure, hopefully...

I'm surprised at the positive comment about Bridgwater considering the number of houses being built there and over capacity junctions being further inundated with additional traffic.

People will complain wherever houses are built. Suggestions to build in Taunton cause people to comment on the town centre issues but the other options would be to build in more rural areas and people would complain about ruining the countryside etc...

The consultation may be fairly pointless as it wouldn't surprise me if nothing changed. But it will be even more pointless if people just object to building more houses full stop. That's not an option and just gives them more of an excuse to ignore the responses.

Part of my above comment already confirmed by the top comment on http://www.somersetc
ountygazette.co.uk/n
ews/10190290.Have_yo
ur_say_on_Bishops_Ly
deard_development/

I can't believe there are so many negative comments here! I know that NIMBYs will always be very vocal, but we need to look at the bigger picture. More houses will lead to more jobs, more development and Taunton maintaining its position as the County Town of Somerset. So let's get building and prevent Taunton getting stuck in the past with the nay-sayers!

Jamesey wrote:
I can't believe there are so many negative comments here! I know that NIMBYs will always be very vocal, but we need to look at the bigger picture. More houses will lead to more jobs, more development and Taunton maintaining its position as the County Town of Somerset. So let's get building and prevent Taunton getting stuck in the past with the nay-sayers!

Yeh right and what have been smoking.

Could you tell us where you live so we can suggest that they build next to you, and you sound remarkably like someone with a vested interest.

Jamesey wrote:
I can't believe there are so many negative comments here! I know that NIMBYs will always be very vocal, but we need to look at the bigger picture. More houses will lead to more jobs, more development and Taunton maintaining its position as the County Town of Somerset. So let's get building and prevent Taunton getting stuck in the past with the nay-sayers!

I agree with FreeSpeech - you've so obviously got some self-centred connections......
Taunton is (was) a market town and is the County town of Somerset.
The operative word is TOWN - nothing more.
Ideally it would remain so.....and we don't want it to become another massive warren with a dead heart.
*
More houses will lead to more chaos; more queues; more unemployment in the bad times; less green fields and countryside (for which this area is famous). They'll encourage more outsiders to live here - people who have no interest in our heritage or history.
We'll need more (out-of-town) shopping centres; more schools; more roads....
The roads will be provided, ripping up many more acres of our countryside, the schools and shops won't.
And, to go with all the above, would we get more parks, more playgrounds, more amenities? No chance!
As for more industry and such? Thank you but no - not if it's factory-based. If our 'industry' is to expand it must be in the technological world; offices perhaps, not factories. Our job expansion should be 'at home' where today's super-fast internet can be implemented.
*
Sorry - a city can expand and can continue to do so, creating 'districts' with their own centres as it goes. A town has character (one hopes) that must be retained by keeping that town in check.
Call me old-fashioned but I like Taunton the way it is (I liked it even more, once upon a time) and I'd like to keep it that way.

What is Happening wrote:
Is it a case of build a new home - provide more roads? Taunton is nightmmare to get into - what will happen with more commuters? Oh forgot - the town cemter will be dead - no one will need to get into it. They need to resolve the traffic issues first - not put up more house to cause more traffic chaos

Is the Third Way not a new road? Is the Northern Inner Distributor road not going to be new?

Does Taunton not have 2 park and ride sites??

Taunton has plenty of transport provision but even so it is chaos as it only has one motorway junction (at least its not as bad as Weston SM).

The new houses will lead to even more commuters putting pressure on the motorway junction as they trott off to jobs in Bristol, Exeter and Bridgwater.

Bridgwater on the other hand is getting lots of new houses too as well as lots of new employment. Trouble is there is very little investment in transport.

No sign of the Colley Lane Southern Distributor road, no sign of a park & ride (there is an outline planning application in for more houses on the site identified for park & ride) and soon if the Council have their way there will be a raft of parking restrictions in the town which will leave commuters with no where to park!

Bridgwater really needs 1 if not 2 park and ride sites off J24 and ideally J23 (and not just for Hinkley workers).

Taunton could do with a Southern Distributor road connecting Staplehay with Killams/Holway/Black
brook and possibly another motorway junction around the area of the services.

Oh and the houses proposed out Comeytrowe. This is nothing new, my nan owned a house in Higher Comeytrowe and we always knew the town would end up developing out that way.

typo, delete Staplehay and replace with connecting Sherford/Galmington/
Comeytrowe and Trull with Killams etc

souwesterly wrote:

Jamesey wrote:
I can't believe there are so many negative comments here! I know that NIMBYs will always be very vocal, but we need to look at the bigger picture. More houses will lead to more jobs, more development and Taunton maintaining its position as the County Town of Somerset. So let's get building and prevent Taunton getting stuck in the past with the nay-sayers!

I agree with FreeSpeech - you've so obviously got some self-centred connections......
Taunton is (was) a market town and is the County town of Somerset.
The operative word is TOWN - nothing more.
Ideally it would remain so.....and we don't want it to become another massive warren with a dead heart.
*
More houses will lead to more chaos; more queues; more unemployment in the bad times; less green fields and countryside (for which this area is famous). They'll encourage more outsiders to live here - people who have no interest in our heritage or history.
We'll need more (out-of-town) shopping centres; more schools; more roads....
The roads will be provided, ripping up many more acres of our countryside, the schools and shops won't.
And, to go with all the above, would we get more parks, more playgrounds, more amenities? No chance!
As for more industry and such? Thank you but no - not if it's factory-based. If our 'industry' is to expand it must be in the technological world; offices perhaps, not factories. Our job expansion should be 'at home' where today's super-fast internet can be implemented.
*
Sorry - a city can expand and can continue to do so, creating 'districts' with their own centres as it goes. A town has character (one hopes) that must be retained by keeping that town in check.
Call me old-fashioned but I like Taunton the way it is (I liked it even more, once upon a time) and I'd like to keep it that way.

The only vested interest I have is wishing to see my hometown thrive in the modern world. Of course our heritage should be protected, but new developments, such as Firepool, should be welcomed. In my opinion, the Viridor HQ is a great looking building and hopefully there will be more to follow. But some people are never happy. The two new roads (Third Way and North Inner Distributer) are built on brownfield sites and are a catalyst for regeneration, yet still they are criticised. How about giving the town and the planners some support?

I'll stick with you, Jamesey, but only so far as your comments re the new roads and the use of brownfield sites go.
Yes, Firepool will be welcomed but it's going to be a big white elephant in this economic climate. And by the time we've recovered and the rest of the development can justifiably go ahead, the plans and designs will be so far out-of-date that no-one will want to live or work there.
I cannot support your view of the Virador building - it looks utterly out-of-place and is devoid of any decent architectural features. Absolute stock design work - pulled from the 1980's drawer.
Much as the rest of the Firepool designs probably will be too......but that's another matter.
What is important is that Taunton doesn't become ring-fenced by marching armies of dormitory estates, nor blighted by large warehouses and (possibly) factories. Somerset is a really rural county - but just because we've loads of nice green fields around here, "development" and "progress" are no reasons to try to cover them all up.

Jamesey wrote:

souwesterly wrote:

Jamesey wrote:
I can't believe there are so many negative comments here! I know that NIMBYs will always be very vocal, but we need to look at the bigger picture. More houses will lead to more jobs, more development and Taunton maintaining its position as the County Town of Somerset. So let's get building and prevent Taunton getting stuck in the past with the nay-sayers!

I agree with FreeSpeech - you've so obviously got some self-centred connections......
Taunton is (was) a market town and is the County town of Somerset.
The operative word is TOWN - nothing more.
Ideally it would remain so.....and we don't want it to become another massive warren with a dead heart.
*
More houses will lead to more chaos; more queues; more unemployment in the bad times; less green fields and countryside (for which this area is famous). They'll encourage more outsiders to live here - people who have no interest in our heritage or history.
We'll need more (out-of-town) shopping centres; more schools; more roads....
The roads will be provided, ripping up many more acres of our countryside, the schools and shops won't.
And, to go with all the above, would we get more parks, more playgrounds, more amenities? No chance!
As for more industry and such? Thank you but no - not if it's factory-based. If our 'industry' is to expand it must be in the technological world; offices perhaps, not factories. Our job expansion should be 'at home' where today's super-fast internet can be implemented.
*
Sorry - a city can expand and can continue to do so, creating 'districts' with their own centres as it goes. A town has character (one hopes) that must be retained by keeping that town in check.
Call me old-fashioned but I like Taunton the way it is (I liked it even more, once upon a time) and I'd like to keep it that way.

The only vested interest I have is wishing to see my hometown thrive in the modern world. Of course our heritage should be protected, but new developments, such as Firepool, should be welcomed. In my opinion, the Viridor HQ is a great looking building and hopefully there will be more to follow. But some people are never happy. The two new roads (Third Way and North Inner Distributer) are built on brownfield sites and are a catalyst for regeneration, yet still they are criticised. How about giving the town and the planners some support?

Your definitely working with the planners with an outburst like that, you are so full of it.

souwesterly wrote:
I'll stick with you, Jamesey, but only so far as your comments re the new roads and the use of brownfield sites go. Yes, Firepool will be welcomed but it's going to be a big white elephant in this economic climate. And by the time we've recovered and the rest of the development can justifiably go ahead, the plans and designs will be so far out-of-date that no-one will want to live or work there. I cannot support your view of the Virador building - it looks utterly out-of-place and is devoid of any decent architectural features. Absolute stock design work - pulled from the 1980's drawer. Much as the rest of the Firepool designs probably will be too......but that's another matter. What is important is that Taunton doesn't become ring-fenced by marching armies of dormitory estates, nor blighted by large warehouses and (possibly) factories. Somerset is a really rural county - but just because we've loads of nice green fields around here, "development" and "progress" are no reasons to try to cover them all up.

You seem to be against change "Call me old-fashioned but I like Taunton the way it is (I liked it even more, once upon a time) and I'd like to keep it that way.”

Everything evolves, people, technology and even TOWNS!

Would you prefer that everything stays the same? Perhaps back to steam, black and white television, horse and cart?

Taunton has to evolve or risk standing still and being overtaken by the likes of Bridgwater, Yeovil and Frome.

I grew up in the countryside and feel it should be protected but like it or not the population of the country as a whole is expanding (for one reason or another) and 'we down here' need to take our share.

I would prefer some higher parts of Taunton to develop rather than building in areas of flood plain around the River Tone and Parrett.

Trouble is not every is going to be supportive of development, its human nature, there will always be people who are against it as it ruins their view, decreases the value of their property, eats up the countryside, increases flood risk etc etc etc

If all the objectors were listened to then we would have no development and much of Taunton, Bridgwater and anywhere else for that matter would not exist now.

Jamesey. I think you'll find you're in a tiny minority of people in voicing support for the design of the Viridor HQ. Next you'll be telling us you find the 'prison' on the Corner of Silk Mills Road a 'pleasant design, sensitive to the character of surrounding development'!

Look, I'm very pleased that a major national company like Viridor chose to remain HQ'd in Taunton but the design of the building is something you could pull out of a 5-yr old's doodle pad. If that's Taunton's Vision, I'll have to keep my eyes closed.

Housing development is important but it cannot be at the expense of jobs
More here
http://mikerigby.org
/2012/10/17/put-jobs
-first/

@FreeSpeech
Your conspiracy theories will get you nowhere. I have never had anything to do with the local planners.

@Mike Rigby
I agree with your "Put jobs first" article. I also agree that the development on the corner of Silk Mills is not pretty. However, with green field sites so difficult to aquire and build on, I can understand the pressure to pack the houses in!
But I stand by my comments on the Viridor HQ. I'm a fan of modern buildings, but some end up looking very dated after 10 years or so. However, the brick facade and tidy design at Viridor should age quite well.
The flats at Firepool are a different story though!

Jamesey wrote:
@FreeSpeech
Your conspiracy theories will get you nowhere. I have never had anything to do with the local planners.

@Mike Rigby
I agree with your "Put jobs first" article. I also agree that the development on the corner of Silk Mills is not pretty. However, with green field sites so difficult to aquire and build on, I can understand the pressure to pack the houses in!
But I stand by my comments on the Viridor HQ. I'm a fan of modern buildings, but some end up looking very dated after 10 years or so. However, the brick facade and tidy design at Viridor should age quite well.
The flats at Firepool are a different story though!

Couldn't care less about your denials as you and the planners sing from the same hymn book, your probably a councillor.