SEVERAL companies - including a cinema operator, pub company, gym and food outlets - have expressed an interest in opening in Taunton.

The list, published alongside an officer report to councillors at Somerset West and Taunton Council includes firms who have contacted the local authority between the start of 2021 and August this year.

The report is going to next Wednesday's (November 2) corporate scrutiny committee and is contained in an item on the potential development of the Firepool site, the former livestock market off Priory Bridge Road, which closed in 2008.

The full published list features:

Aldi, discount supermarket;

Everyman Cinema;

Safestore;

Amber Taverns;

Evapo, vape shop;

Taco Bell, fast food restaurant;

Pavers, shoe retailer;

M&S Food;

Whistles women's fashion shop;

Crispys, burger and dessert restaurant;

Shoezone;

Lidl, discount supermarket;

Machine Mart, tool and machinery equipment;

Bannatyne, health club, spa and hotels;

Cornish Bakery, pasties;

KFC, fast food;

Earthfare, health foods;

Busy Bees, day nursery;

Salvation Army, charitable organisation;

VPZ, electronic cigarettes;

Simply Gym.

The report says: "There are very few genuine retail requirements for the town and those published include a number of non-retail use including Safe Store, Machine Mart and Busy Bees Day Nursery.

"In addition, Aldi have satisfied their requirement for this part of Taunton with their proposed store at Chip Lane.

"Whilst Lidl have opened fairly recently on Roman Road, they do have another requirement for Taunton but do not believe that Firepool would be suitable."

It adds that there is a "lack of genuine retail requirements" in the town due to regional and national factors.

The report says: "Both Lidl and Aldi do still have requirements for Taunton, but Aldi’s requirement is for the area around Wellington Road for a site of approx. 1.7 to 2 acres to accommodate a store of 19,200 sq ft with a minimum of 100 car spaces.

"In addition, Lidl may still be looking for another store but not around the Firepool site.

"Their requirement is for no less than 1.5 acres for a standalone store to accommodate a store of 18,000 sq ft to 26,500 sq ft with a minimum of 100 car spaces."

But it adds the other principal food stores, including Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco, appear to have "no other requirements for an additional town centre presence.

And Waitrose, which had looked at opening a store on Firepool a number of years ago, no longer have a requirement for the town centre.

"M&S Simply Food do have a requirement for Taunton for a store of between 12,500 – 25,000 sq ft, but we understand this is for an out-of-town location with suitable customer parking and complimentary retail uses."

The report adds that the Firepool project will not be "retail led" due to "insufficient demand for large retail space" there.

As a result, the scheme will be "predominantly residential led" along with some "local demand for convenience style retailing/food and beverage (F&B) to support the immediate catchment.

"This would be primarily local covenants and include uses such as coffee shop, fast food, hairdressers etc and the small amount of F&B. We believe it is unlikely there would be demand for in excess of approximately 500 sq m of these uses in Firepool."