A FURTHER £825,000 of taxpayers' money is to be spent on the derelict former livestock market site at Taunton's Firepool - ahead of any construction work.

The cash, allocated by Taunton Deane Borough Council's windfall New Homes Bonus fund, is for "site enabling".

It will be used towards the construction of an access road from Trenchard Way, formerly the Northern Inner Distributor Road; site clearance and site investigation; site set up works, including boundary fence renewal; and demolitions of minor structures and slabs and making good.

Outline planning permission for the multi-million pound development of Firepool includes shops, offices, homes, cafes and restaurants and leisure facilities, including a cinema.

The market closed more than ten years ago.

A council report outlining the project says: "Following the successful conclusion of the outline planning process for the site, the council is progressing action planning for delivering the Firepool master plan.

"A full report on this issue will be presented to council in due course.

"In order to progress matters and keep up momentum, a number of tasks need to be completed on the site and it is proposed to re-profile funding from the New Homes Bonus to fund this activity."

The works will "reinforce the prominence of a boulevard" running from Taunton Station and along the riverside into the town centre.