Firepool Construction Underway

Tuesday, 26 July 2011 09:18

The Project Taunton delivery team and landowners Taunton Deane Borough Council joined developers, St Modwen, on site yesterday to mark the start of the first commercial building on the 17-acre site. This is a key milestone for Project Taunton, one of the largest town centre projects currently underway in the South West.

The works, to be carried out by contractor Morgan Sindall, will deliver the headquarters office for leading UK recycling, renewable energy and waste management company, Viridor. From its current head office on Station Approach in Taunton, the company will relocate more than 100 members of staff to a new, bespoke 27,000 sq ft office, which is expected to be ready for occupancy by next summer.

The building will form part of the first phase of development at Firepool, which includes plans to transform the 4.5 acre Priory Bridge Road car park located next to the River Tone into 113,000 sq ft of office space, a hotel and 49 apartments. As part of the works, St. Modwen is also delivering a series of enhancement works around the River Tone, which will feature a new River Park setting.

To officially mark this latest milestone, Councillor John Williams, Leader of Taunton Deane Borough Council, Colin Drummond, Chief Executive of Viridor, Ian Franklin, Project Director for Project Taunton joined Rupert Joseland, South West Regional Director for St. Modwen at the site.

Ian Franklin, Project Director at Project Taunton, who is responsible for driving Project Taunton, the 123 acre regeneration scheme commented: “This marks a cracking start to Taunton’s economic regeneration.  It will undoubtedly increase interest in the Firepool site which is the best located new commercial site of this high calibre in the South West.

Rupert Joseland, South West Regional Director for St. Modwen, commented: “We are delighted to welcome our partners and Viridor to Firepool as we mark one of our most visible milestones with the start of works on our first commercial building. Securing Viridor as a major national business with plans for strong growth is great news for Taunton.

“Now that works have started our focus will be on continuing Firepool’s delivery through ongoing occupier discussions. Occupiers locating at the site will benefit from an unrivalled setting with easy access to town centre facilities and transport links, including the mainline railway station. The enhancement works around the River establishing the new River Park will become a distinguishing feature of the scheme as we develop Firepool into the new commercial heart of Taunton.”

Colin Drummond, Chief Executiveof Viridor, added:

To showcase the river setting, a key attribute of the mixed-use scheme for businesses and residents, Project Taunton arranged with Somerset Waterways Development Trust to launch its vessel, Future Perfect, to take passengers along the river and witness first-hand the scale of the development and progress made to date.

Leader of Taunton Deane Borough Council, Cllr John Williams, commented:: This is truly a remarkable event - the culmination of many years of planning and we are now seeing what started as “Taunton Vision”  in 2002, become a reality. I am delighted that even in these difficult times our development partner, St Modwen, has secured the headquarters of a major national company, Viridor, here in Taunton.  I am sure it will be a catalyst on this very important strategic employment site for much more to come. Included in this development is the creation of the riverside park between the new building and the river which will be of true benefit to our community by improving public access in a wonderful setting. With the new road now being planned to open up the whole of the site I am certain that this is just the beginning and I am delighted to be present at the breaking of ground for this, the very first building.

Firepool will be redeveloped on a phased basis and on completion, it will provide around 500,000 sq ft of office space, up to 4,000 new jobs and more than 400 apartments and town houses fully supported by retail and leisure facilities including cafes, bars and a hotel.

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