INSIGHT: Garden town plans are blossoming - but what does it all mean for Taunton?

If that’s the case, the good people of Taunton Deane are sure to be stress-free soon as garden town plans take shape.

The only problem is, no one really knows what having the ‘garden town’ status means, as there are no set rules or blueprints for how to proceed.

The concept was first brought about by Sir Ebenezer Howard in 1898, who wanted to see people and nature live harmoniously. The first garden city was built in Letchworth in 1903.

Technology, politics, and human needs have since changed but the concept stays the same - living near green areas can improve quality of life.

It was announced at the start of the year that Taunton would be one of three towns to be given the status, alongside a series of villages.

The aim is to tackle the lack of houses built in the UK, while promoting close links to the environment by ensuring things like green corridors, better cycle and pedestrian links and more green spaces are considered when delivering new developments.

To picture the future of what Taunton could look like, Somerset Wildlife Trust held a conference to discuss how to move forward.

The conference, which took place at the Cooper Associates County Ground on Tuesday, was attended by members of the public, council members, and other interested parties, to see the possibilities.

While no official plans are in place yet, specially-selected speakers explained how it could work.

Professor Chris Baines.

The conference was chaired by Professor Chris Baines, an experienced horticulturalist, who inspired the crowd with his insight.

“Now is the time for really big and bold thinking,” he said. “This should be a better place to live in 20 years’ time because of the housing developments.

“We’ve got to understand the value of integrating green space in the places that we live and work.

“It’s of world-wide importance. To be in denial about needing new houses is a mistake.

“Nationally, we’ve done almost nothing to tackle the problem with vacant properties, and housing developers are managing the flow of new homes.

“What we need is a thorough and honest review of the situation of how and where we build.”

Prof Baines went on to explain that currently, there’s a 50/50 split in people living in urban and rural areas, but by 2050, this is predicted to be a 70/30 split.

He added: “What you do as a town will be part of the changing process. We need an ordinary town to demonstrate how it can be done.

“It can be better for wildlife and better for people. A better place to grow old and grow up.

“We’ve got to make it natural, make it seasonal and colourful, so you know the difference between January and July, but most importantly, we’ve got to make it fun.”

Cllr John Williams. 

Leader of Taunton Deane Borough Council, Cllr John Williams, said: “The council is pleased to be supporting this event and the thought-provoking and informative discussion on how we can deliver.

“We’ve got to protect and enhance green infrastructure but we cannot do this alone; and we’ve got to attract investment and employment to the town.

“Communities in Taunton have concerns about infrastructure so we’ve allocated £16.6 million of new homes bonus for growth and development; we’ve set up a community infrastructure levy (CIL) charge, and we’ve recently submitted a bid to the Housing Infrastructure Fund to ensure Government is fully aware of the infrastructure requirements for Taunton.

“We all need to ensure that our garden town will meet the needs of our existing and future generations. So moving forward with the plan, and to paraphrase a well-known Greek proverb, `we have to be prepared to plant trees whose shade we know we shall never sit in`.” Garden town status can also be used to get the community involved, whether it’s school children exploring the different areas of nature, or planting community gardens.

The wildlife trust already runs activities with school children and other volunteers to get people involved in nature.

Taunton is one of the four allocated ‘living landscapes’ chosen by the trust and is the only urban section.

Jolyon Chesworth, Somerset Wildlife Trust. 

Jolyon Chesworth, nature and wellbeing manager at the trust, said: “We’ve got fantastic wildlife in Taunton. From otters, to kingfishers, bees and even a seal.

“There’s 700 hectares of green space in Taunton, it’s fantastic for corridors.”

As well as wildlife benefits, it was also pointed out that natural spaces also have benefits on mental health and wellbeing.

Spending time outside can help to reduce stress and provide a better quality of life, according to the trust.

He added: “People are the key to protecting natural spaces. Go for a walk and you’ll feel those benefits. It doesn’t matter where you live, if you’re rich or poor, the benefits are still there.

“Children don’t go out as much as they used to, it’s a missing part of their childhood.”

He went on to say that contributing to green spaces should be considered normal by housing developers who want to build in the town.

Brendan Cleere, TDBC 

Brendan Cleere, director of growth and management for Taunton Deane Borough Council, outlined three commitments the council would be pledging. He promised a “holistic” approach to growth, community leaderships, and engagement and ownership.

He said: “There’s a lot of goodwill for the concept of garden town. What’s not to like?

“Issues faced in Taunton and the rest of the UK include traffic, pollution, mental health, obesity and the growing population.

“Currently, Taunton’s productivity is 87 per cent of the national average, which is another issue garden towns will have to face.

“We aren’t starting from scratch, we’ve already got good relationships with groups such as the wildlife trust.

“We’re expecting an update on our infrastructure bid before Christmas, being a garden town gives us a greater chance of being selected.We can provide more inspiring and more sustainable housing.

“Taunton already has double the national average for people that walk or cycle to work, we’ve got plans for the new employment Nexus park, and plans for a fully-fledged University of Somerset. Within the town centre, we have to make more of our river frontage.”

It was repeated throughout the conference that garden town status was not just for the council, but a label for the entire town.

Mr Cleere added: “The status is really special for Taunton. But it’s a designation for the place, not the council. It’s our garden town.”

Other speakers were Julia Thrift from the Town and Country Planning Association, Simon Nash - the chief executive of Somerset Wildlife Trust, Jo Gibbons, director of J & L Landscape Architects, and Andrew Netherton, health and wellbeing manager at Public Health England.

The main message of the conference was that Taunton needs a “strong and clear” message when going forward to create the plans for how the garden town will be delivered and maintained.

But will that be the case as housing developments are being approved to meet the council’s five-year plan before the authority has set out clear requirements for its standards as the garden town? Only time will tell.