NEW footpaths and cycle links could be created across Taunton to open up the river front and town centre as part of a “green infrastructure” drive.

Somerset West and Taunton Council recently published its 2040 Vision document, laying out how the south west’s first garden town could change shape over the next two decades.

The strategy identifies sites where new development on the river could be achieved – including the council’s own projects at Coal Orchard and Firepool, and the proposed flats on the former Tangier gasworks.

But the strategy will also see existing rights of way along the river and nearby streams upgraded, and new paths put in place to encourage walking and cycling.

Council leader Federica Smith-Roberts elaborated on the council’s ambitions during a Facebook Live on Thursday afternoon (March 4).

She said: “The 2040 Vision is about making sure that we’re future-proofing ourselves and giving people a really great place to live, work and play.

“I’m born and bred in Taunton, and Taunton is great. I hear people on Facebook saying that ‘it’s lost its sparkle’, and there have been elements where, in the past decade, it could have done better.

“But it’s about making sure that we’ve got somewhere where my children want to return to live after university, and that it’s a great place for people to move to live in and retire to.”

A number of existing council-run car parks in the town have been earmarked for development within the Vision document – including the Castle Street, Enfield and Tangier car parks near the river.

Ms Smith-Roberts said the council was not trying to penalise motorists, and the developments (including possible student flats) would encourage new residents to walk or cycle into town.

She said: “It’s not about being anti-motorist, but we do all have to look at how we use our cars.

“If we weren’t tackling the covid crisis, and if we weren’t talking about Brexit, I would hope we were talking about climate change.

“People need to look at how they change their ways of moving around that takes out the car; however, there is a big element of national government and the county council that needs to look at public transport.”

Substantial sections of the riverside are already accessible to pedestrians and cyclist, either through existing footpaths or the national cycle network, which extends beyond the Firepool site.

The council aims to increase the network so that both sides of the river are fully accessible, with new sections planned through the Firepool site and around the Tangier gas works site.

Part of the riverside footpath could include a “boardwalk”-style walkway towards the Coal Orchard site – a concept first proposed by Taunton Deane Borough Council back in 2014.

Existing paths – such as the Mill Stream route around the back of Castle Street – will also be upgraded while retaining their essential character.

Ms Smith-Roberts said: “We’ve got to make sure that we keep hold of our heritage – keep hold of what makes us unique.

“It’s about making sure that we don’t forget our roots – we won’t just knock everything down and start again.

“Green spaces are really important in Taunton – actually for a large town, we’ve got quite a lot of green space.

“We need to make sure that we blend this in alongside the developments – including the retirement village on Tangier Way.

“We’re looking at bringing greenery back into The Parade, trees going down where TK Maxx and further down. It’s about being a nice place to come and be, not just a concrete junction.

“A lot of us have realised in lockdown that you can stay local and see great things. I go on walks locally around where I live on Blackbrook, and the benefit of that to my mental health and well-being has been immense.”

The council has been working with the Environment Agency on schemes to prevent flooding in the town centre, with £6M being allocated to short-term schemes which will deliver “quick wins”.

The first of these schemes, due to begin by 2023, will see £3.5M spent to protect residential properties in the Clarence Street area, as well as providing additional protection for the regeneration sites downstream.

Ms Smith-Roberts said the council would work with developers to ensure that existing flooding issues were dealt with and that the problem would not worsen in the future.

She said: “When you build houses – whether that’s us as a council or developers – the flooding has to be taken into consideration.

“We’ve been successful in accessing funding to alleviate the issues –  we’re talking millions of pounds.

“As part of the Coal Orchard development, our contractors have now started building the steps that lead down to the River Tone. Hopefully we can have boats going up and down here, and we’ll have rowers on occasion, making use of this brilliant asset that we have.”