High Street

Our aspirations for Taunton High Street are for something special and at the two-day event in October, you told us that this is what you want too.

Bronwen Gwillim, artist, designer and public art consultant is working with Reed Holland Associates on the design which is developing at a rapid pace.  Some of the results will soon be seen as work on Phase 2 which focusses on renewing basic service infrastructure such as lighting, drainage and electricity supplies as well as upgrading the paving, seating and tree surrounds in a section of the street between Bath Place and Crown Walk, is due to begin any day now.

The RG Spiller team are moving from Goodland Gardens to the High Street where they will begin Phase 2 of the landscaping works on Monday 30 January.

Following the Homes and Community Agency’s (HCA) decision to grant Project Taunton £250,000 towards the project, our architects Reed Holland Associates set about selecting a contractor to begin work. There’s a crucial condition associated with this grant – the work has to be delivered and paid for by 31 March 2012. No pressure!

Guest Post

You may have seen the three new benches that have been introduced to the High Street. Before you start posting comments let me explain that these were benches that the Taunton Deane DLO had in stock and are not benches selected by the Design Team.

Jonathan Scanlan, Architect & Director, Reed Holland Associates

The de-cluttering works in Taunton's High Street are coming to an end to allow shoppers and businesses a clear run up to Christmas.

There seems to be some confusion about what’s been going on in the High Street and what if anything is to happen in the future. For example, the other day I overheard a conversation between a couple of shoppers who were appalled at the patchwork solution of paving where just a couple of weeks ago stood a tree in a planter. Thankfully, I was able to get chatting to them and explain that what they thought was a permanent solution, was indeed temporary.