TAUNTON’S garden town vision could falter without investment in sustainable transport, “condemning residents to car-dependent lifestyles”.

That is the verdict of a new report by campaign group Transport for New Homes, which has scrutinised the plans for Somerset’s county town as well as 19 others garden towns and villages.

The report argued the design and location of garden communities could lead to greater car dependency in the years ahead – undermining the fight against climate change and creating isolated neighbourhoods.

Somerset West and Taunton Council has said it is putting sustainable transport at the forefront of its plans for Taunton, and was bidding for government funding to encourage more walking and cycling.

What does the report say is going wrong?

In the report – titled Garden Villages and Garden Towns: Visions and Reality – Transport for New Homes examined plans for 20 such communities across England.

The report concludes that most of the garden towns and villages are “planned in the wrong locations”, too far from town centres or public transport hubs like bus or railway stations.

Because of this, streets are designed around car use – with this and a lack of local amenities “condemning residents to car-dependent lifestyles”.

It also criticised a lack of funding for public transport, as well as pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, estimating that the 20 garden communities could create up to 200,000 car-dependent households between them (an average of 10,000 each).

It concludes: “Unless this picture improves, garden communities will be completely at odds with the visions presented, worsening climate change and failing their residents.

“Non-driving residents will have to walk up to seven miles to buy a pint of milk or access a railway station.

“Sustainable transport is vital to tackling the climate crisis. Walking and cycling in particular have come to prominence during the health crisis, as have the benefits of living more locally.

“But the housing that we are planning threatens to take us in the opposite direction, locking us into car-dependent lifestyles for decades to come.”

What does the report say about Taunton?

Somerset’s county town is mentioned several times in the report – and none of them are particularly complimentary.

Taunton is compared to Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire and Bicester in Oxfordshire for the way it has expanded by “building new estates along new sections of ring road around the outskirts”.

This model, the report argues, “divides communities as much as connecting them” and results in “bubbles around the fringe of town” – which makes residents more car-dependent and leads to more road-building.

The report also referenced plans for rapid transit buses across Taunton – an idea also planned for garden communities in Didcot in Oxfordshire and Harlow in Essex – but said funding for this infrastructure was “precarious, and new roads and junctions were seen as more important.”

The report does, however, cite the Taunton Garden Town vision document published in July 2019, praising its desire to design more “sociable neighbourhoods”, to restrict vehicle access into the town centre to create “a less noisy, safer environment”, and to “prioritise pedestrians and cyclists”.

How has the council responded?

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holding for planning and transport, agreed with the report that the government needed to invest in sustainable transport if garden towns were to be successful.

He said: “Government investment in sustainable transport over traditional highway improvements is critical.

“We’ve put in a series of funding bids to support sustainable transport

infrastructure, including a recent unsuccessful bid from the Housing Infrastructure Fund which included the rapid bus transit project.

“We are currently awaiting the outcome of the Future High Street Fund bid which includes a request for investment in cycling and walking in the town centre, and hope that this current submission is successful.

“We have a local cycling and walking investment plan in place and are awaiting

confirmation of available government funds to move forward with delivery.

“We have also drafted a transport strategy which puts sustainable transport investment as a priority over highways – we need the government to do the same.”

Mr Rigby said there was no need to change the Taunton garden town vision in light of the report, saying it was “an evolving document” and already had a firm commitment towards sustainable transport.

He said: “We are committed to making Taunton more prosperous and sustainable with better transport links, better services and facilities, while conserving our valuable green space for future generations.

“In relation to the creation of three new garden communities at Monkton Heathfield, Staplegrove and Comeytrowe/ Trull, our plans include linking the new developments to the natural environment, creating new parks and car free public space.

“Improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists are also vital to help people make the switch away from cars.

“More walking and cycling routes are being created including a new pedestrian route from the railway station through Firepool and Coal Orchard, to link them better to the existing town centre.”

The council has submitted plans for a new cycle link between the station and the Firepool site, with a decision expected after mid-July.

How does this fit in with the Local Plan?

The council is currently reviewing its Local Plan, bringing together two separate sets of legislation it inherited when Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset Council merged in April 2019.

Mr Rigby said the existing Local Plan needed to be updated because it relied on both government investment and the full cooperation of Somerset County Council (as the highway authority) to be effective.

He said: “We are committed to creating a more sustainable future for everyone, putting climate and environmental responsibility at the heart of everything we do.

“We are working with neighbouring district councils and the county council to produce a wider joint climate emergency strategy.

“We are also subsidising the park and ride service. The two sites provide an efficient, cost-effective way of getting into the town centre, and help to reduce congestion and pollution which aligns with our climate goals.

“We further have plans to make Taunton town centre more user-friendly, improving the area for pedestrians and cyclists in line with its status as the first garden town in the south west.

“Phase one, trialling the temporary closure of St James Street between North Street and Lower Middle Street is currently underway.”