Feb 28, 2019
The Council’s draft Vision for Taunton Garden
Town has been produced following extensive engagement and discussion with the
public and key stakeholders.
It sets out a long term vision for the
Garden Town using illustrations and diagrams that demonstrate what a vibrant,
thriving place marrying town and country could look like.
The vision is that:
“Taunton
will be a flourishing, distinctive and healthy county town where we all enjoy
an exceptional quality of life and are proud to live.”
Supporting this vision
are five key themes:
“Celebrate our roots”
“Growing our town greener”
“Branching out – moving cleaner, moving smarter”
“Growing green places to live”
“New Shoots – a dynamic, prosperous business
community”
The Vision is just the start of work on
Taunton Garden Town; a delivery plan will follow providing detail on the
projects and activities which will deliver the Vision.
This delivery plan will not be a fixed
document but one which, over time, will develop into an online platform
providing up-to-date information about strategies, projects and activities.
The new Somerset West and Taunton Council is
committed to giving its communities and stakeholders an active role in
realising the Vision from project identification through to delivery.
It will work to establish new governance
arrangements for the Garden Town which will incorporate innovative ways to
encourage community participation.
A link to the document can be found here: www.tauntondeane.gov.uk/garden-town.
Jan 25, 2019
- ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour commences tour of England and Wales on 19 February 2019

- 100-day tour starts off in London and will finish on 29 May ahead of the tournament opener at The Oval for England v South Africa
- The trophy will visit all 11 Cricket World Cup 2019 venues, making over 100 stops in more than 20 towns and cities across England and Wales
- The trophy will be transported in the all-electric Nissan LEAF
- Fans can nominate someone who deserves to be recognised for their contribution to cricket and the wider community to win a visit from the trophy
The 100-day schedule for the domestic leg of the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour, driven by Nissan, has been announced today ahead of its start date on 19 February – when it will commence its journey across the length and breadth of England and Wales, covering thousands of miles and making stops in more than 20 towns and cities.
The trophy, which will be lifted by the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup winners at Lord’s on 14 July, will be driven around England and Wales in a Nissan LEAF – Europe’s top-selling electric vehicle (EV)*- making this tour the first ICC Trophy Tour powered by an all-electric vehicle.
From extreme sports and a cricket match underground to a theme park and a quintessential English village, the trophy is set for some unique visits during its time on tour, with its final stop on 29 May the day before the tournament opener of England v South Africa at The Oval.
Thousands of fans have already had the chance to catch a glimpse of the trophy during the international leg of the tour, with cricketing legends such as Brian Lara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and VVS Laxman – just to name a few – visiting it along the way. The trophy has made stops at each of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 participating nations, with additional visits to countries in Europe and Africa, and as far as Nepal and the USA. By the time the Trophy Tour reaches England and Wales, it will have visited 18 countries worldwide.
Commencing on 19 February, the trophy will visit the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 Host Cities of London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham, Leeds, Durham, Southampton, Cardiff and Taunton, stopping off at each Host Venue.
While supporting the development of grassroots cricket by visiting every first-class county, the Trophy Tour also aims to take cricket to new areas with stops at other towns and cities across England and Wales. The 100-day route showcases an array of different communities and celebrates multi-cultural Britain at its finest.
There will be a number of open events throughout the tour where fans will get the opportunity to get close to the trophy, including three ‘Super Saturdays’ in Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. These will combine music, special guests, entertainment and a street cricket tournament involving local businesses, fan groups and the public.
The ICC will be offering the chance for three lucky fans to get a personal visit from the trophy during the tour. Members of the public can nominate someone who they feel deserves to be recognised for their contribution to cricket and the wider community to win a visit from the trophy. More details can be found here.
Fans can follow the trophy’s journey through the Trophy Tour section of the ICC Cricket World Cup website. The interactive map will follow the tour’s itinerary, outlining information about each stop. There will also be behind-the-scenes content across all ICC Cricket World Cup digital channels.
The full #CWCTrophyTour schedule, driven by Nissan, can be viewed here.
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 Managing Director, Steve Elworthy said: “Today is another huge milestone in our journey to the Cricket World Cup, as we announce the 100-day Trophy Tour across England and Wales.
“We have seen an incredible response from supporters as it’s made its way around the world, visiting communities across numerous countries.
“The countdown to the tournament will feel very real when the trophy arrives in England and Wales, and we look forward to it visiting some iconic and special locations before the opening match on 30 May.
“We’d also like to thank Nissan for all their commitment in delivering the Trophy Tour, it would not be possible without their help and support.”
Nicolas Verneuil, Marketing Director, Nissan Motors GB, said: “We’re delighted to be part of the first ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour driven by an all-electric vehicle – Europe’s best-selling in fact* – the Nissan LEAF.
“As our hero electric vehicle – LEAF embodies energy, passion and excitement – all the components needed for a successful Cricket World Cup! We can’t wait to show off its Nissan Intelligent Mobility credentials as we take it for a ‘spin’ across the nation and get fans excited about electric mobility.”
For more information about the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, please click here.
* Based on Nissan LEAFs sold in Europe up to end of December 2018. For more information about the Nissan please read on here
ABOUT THE ICC MEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP 2019
- The tournament will run from 30 May to 14 July. The semi-finals will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester and Edgbaston in Birmingham on 9 and 11 July respectively, while Lord’s will host the final on 14 July.
- 11 venues across England and Wales will be used, namely Cardiff Wales Stadium in Cardiff (four matches), Bristol County Ground in Bristol (three matches), County Ground Taunton in Taunton (three matches), Edgbaston in Birmingham (five matches, including the second semi-final), Hampshire Bowl in Southampton (five matches), Headingley in Leeds (four matches), Lord’s in London (five matches, including the final), Old Trafford in Manchester (six matches, including the first semi-final), The Oval in London (five matches, including the tournament opener), The Riverside Durham in Chester-le-Street (three matches) and Trent Bridge in Nottingham (five matches)
- The 10 teams in the tournament will play against each other in a single-league format, with the top four sides after 45 matches to qualify for the two semi-finals
- England and Wales have previously staged ICC Cricket World Cups in 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999
- Australia is the most successful team in the history of the World Cup, having won events in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015. The West Indies won the first two editions in 1975 and 1979, while India won in 1983 and 2011. Other winners are Pakistan in 1992 and Sri Lanka in 1996
Jan 23, 2019
A £1.2million scheme of improvements to car parks and signage in Taunton is ready to go live.
The Council will implement the new pay on exit system at the Orchard, Tangier, Canon Street, Wood Street, Castle Street and Enfield car parks on 4 February.
This will link into Variable Message Signing (VMS) in place at key locations in Priorswood Road, Cross Keys, Toneway, East Reach, Silk Mills and Wellington Road.
The Traffic Regulation Order which brings the changes into effect is being published this week following a period of testing and training to ensure the complex system of barriers, payment methods and links is working.
The Council will staff the car parks initially to help introduce the public to the new system and answer queries.
Cllr Richard Parrish, Executive member for Planning Policy and Transportation, said: “As the first Garden Town in the South West we are committed to delivering major regeneration in the town centre, new sustainable communities, improved transport and supporting infrastructure. These significant changes to the parking system are central to this strategy and represent our commitment to Taunton Deane’s ecology and economy. They will make a real difference to drivers, helping them to find car parking space while giving them the freedom to stay for as long as they need. The new system will also improve traffic flow, reduce air pollution and benefit local businesses.”
A new charging regime to help with clearer pricing and designation of TDBC car parks will also come into effect with the pay on exit scheme. There are small increases for some car parks. Others will remain static in their charging for short stays, while for longer stays in the majority of car parks, it will be cheaper for most people.
Spaces for Blue Badge holders will remain but the system does not allow for the one hour of additional parking in the car parks covered by pay on exit. The free hour will still be available in other car parks including the Crescent, Whirligig, Belevdere Road, Coal Orchard, Duke Street, Elms Parade and Fons George.
At the Orchard multi-storey car park in Paul Street, Shopmobility users will be able to use a discount card.
Additionally, Blue Badge holders will be able to use on-street parking as they do now.