New 'park and bus' site still closed due to 'technicalities'

The Orchard Grove development (which is being delivered by Taylor Wimpey, Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and LiveWest) will eventually comprise 2,000 new homes between the A38 Wellington Road and Honiton Road, on the western edge of Taunton.

Alongside the new homes, commercial premises, a care home and a primary school, the development will include a 'park and bus' facility, enabling residents to park their cars and board bus services which will take them into the town centre for shopping, leisure activities and medical appointments.

Despite building work being completed in the summer of 2025, including dedicated entry and exit lanes onto the Orchard Grove roundabout, the facility has yet to begin operating.

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and assets, stated in late-November 2025 that he would do all he could ensure the facility would be open by Christmas, following extensive negotiations with the developers and local bus companies.

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for economic development, planning & assets (Image: Daniel Mumby)

Somerset Council has now said it hopes to provide residents with an update by the end of January - though residents are still able to catch buses between Taunton and Wellington using the existing bus stops.

A spokesperson said: "The handover process is taking a little longer than we had anticipated due to some minor technicalities, but the site is complete and ready to be used.

"We hope to provide an update before the end of January.

"The bus stop is already served by the 22, 22A and X22 bus services, and these are being used by the residents of Orchard Grove."

The council's bus service improvement plan (BSIP) included a commitment to speeding up bus journey times by delivering 'greenwaves', focusing on focussing on services approaching the town from the west, north and east.

To this end, the council has been making improvements to the traffic signals on the eastern approach to the town, with a significant upgrade of the Hurdle Way junction being completed in mid-2025 and three sets of lights along the A38 East Reach being upgraded later the same year.

Council officers said that the western 'greenwaves' scheme was "still under development" and would provide an update to residents later in the year.

The council's planning committee west (which handles major applications within the former Somerset West and Taunton area) is expected to make a ruling later this year on two sets of plans within the Orchard Grove site, which will deliver a combined total of 208 homes either side of Egremont Road.