WHILE I agree with the main thrust of Alan Reeve’s letter about needing more attractively designed buildings on new estates, including the Comeytrowe/Trull development (‘Come on developers, we must do better’, Postbag, September 30), I think most residents in south west Taunton will be more concerned with more pressing threats posed by the development.

The developer’s pathetically inadequate ‘transport solution’ to cars from 2,000 new houses spewing onto the Wellington Road was a car park in Rumwell for residents wishing to catch the existing Taunton/Wellington bus!

Any improvements to the service would come from an initial developer contribution, then “voluntary contributions from residents”.

At the time of this ludicrous suggestion, in 2015, I wrote that the developers would have more chance of success by asking Father Christmas and his elves. It is beyond belief that county council Highways raised no objections so the scheme had to be passed.

Fortunately, the new Somerset West and Taunton Council, led by the Liberal Democrats, managed to get a five-year subsidy for improving the bus service from the developer, which is the only chance to avoid gridlock on the Wellington and Trull Roads into Taunton, with even more commuters using the residential streets of Comeytrowe as rat-runs and free parking places.

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Then there is the inadequate flood protection, threatening to repeat the flooding currently besetting the Comeytrowe Lane area.

The refusal of the county council to demand extra secondary school places from the developer makes it likely that of some parents from south west Taunton might have to take their children across town to schools they have not chosen, adding to traffic congestion.

Alan Reeve hopes that planners can offer “greater encouragement” to developers to build houses “which are a pleasure to look at”.

Wouldn’t that be great?

The stark truth is that developers treat councils and residents with casual contempt, bend and break planning conditions when they can, taking advantage of a Government planning system which is a ‘Developer’s Charter’.

Lastly, I have great respect for Alan Reeve but his political swipe at The Lib Dems for failing to build on Firepool yet is a bit of a cheek. The Tories had 10 years to do nothing. The Lib Dems have had just over two years, much of it taken up with Covid lockdowns and economic stagnation.

ALAN PAUL
Taunton