Taunton Innovation District
Taunton’s thriving business led-clusters set to make it the South West’s premier knowledge-based business destination.
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Taunton’s new 2040 Vision
An ambitious £1billion investment to build a County Town with a diverse and thriving economy, quality public realm and environmental sustainability as key drivers.
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Garden Town Engagement
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.
Contractor appointed for Junction 25 upgrade
A multi-million pound scheme to upgrade the busy M5 Junction 25 roundabout at Taunton is scheduled to begin next month following the appointment of the principal contractor.
Somerset County Council has developed a scheme to increase the capacity of this vital link to improve traffic flow, ease peak hour congestion and unlock land for employment to the east of the M5.
Now, following a decision by the Council’s Cabinet before Christmas and the completion of the mandatory procurement standstill period, the contractor can be named as Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd.
This name will be familiar to many in Somerset as they are currently delivering the Western Corridor improvements scheme in Yeovil.
Somerset County Council is now working with Alun Griffiths to finalise the detailed plans for delivery.
Councillor John Woodman, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “We’re pleased to have Alun Griffiths on board and are now working with them on the details of this vitally important scheme.
“Works are planned to begin next month and we’ll be announcing details of the start date and public drop-in events very shortly so we can meet people and go through the plans in more detail.
“This scheme is hugely significant and will provide much needed improvements to one our busiest junctions. We can’t wait to get started.”
Griffiths’ Executive Director Martyn Evans said: “We are delighted to be appointed to deliver this important scheme with Somerset County Council. Griffiths have, over many years, developed a close working relationship with the county resulting in the successful delivery of significant projects which have provided added value to the local economy.
“We look forward to starting work on Junction 25 and recognise the importance of this scheme for the local community and route users. Griffiths will work considerately with the community and do our best to minimise disruption to road users during the various construction phases of the programme.”
The J25 scheme is expected to cost around £19.2m with allocated funding from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal Fund, Taunton Deane Borough Council, Highways England, Somerset County Council and developer contributions.
Chair of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Steve Hindley CBE DL said: “The Junction 25 improvement is one of the LEP’s largest Growth Deal projects. We’re committed to working with government to attract investment in projects that generate growth and help businesses raise productivity in Somerset, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. This major infrastructure improvement will do just that by increasing the connectivity of our area to UK and international markets.”
Leader of Taunton Deane Borough Council, Cllr John Williams said: “The enhancement of Junction 25 represents a major step forward to improve our all-important road system. It opens up a significant opportunity to bring new business and investment to Taunton. It is not only vital to cope with growth across the town but is pivotal to our plans for the Nexus 25 employment site which will support innovation, collaboration and the productivity that our economy needs. It is great to see this project moving forward to benefit the long term connectivity and economy of Taunton. I now look forward to the announcement of the preferred route of the A358 in the spring which is another essential element of our plans to deliver improved infrastructure to match the growth in housing, jobs and leisure in our County town.”
The upgrade involves full signalisation and enlarging of the roundabout, widening of the eastern exit, a new roundabout to access the proposed Nexus 25 employment site, and safer pedestrian and cycling facilities.
Junction 25 currently experiences congestion in both peak hours, with queues frequently extending along the A358 in both directions and it will help address issues with backing up onto the M5.
The scheme aims to improve journey times, reduce congestion, improve Park & Ride journey time reliability and create a more attractive gateway to Taunton, Yeovil and the A303 from the M5. The scheme will also unlock access into the proposed Nexus 25 employment site and support other planned growth across Taunton.
The designs have been shared with Highways England who are developing a major dual carriageway improvement to the A358 between Ilminster and the M5. Highways England consulted on three A358 options last year and these localised improvements to Junction 25 are necessary regardless of which wider A358 option is taken forward by Highways England.
The J25 scheme, which is expected to take two years to deliver, has also been planned to run alongside future planned improvements at the Creech Castle junction on Toneway in Taunton. This scheme is currently being developed but works are expected to begin in 2020. Co-ordinating them to overlap in this way should reduce the impact on motorists by reducing the overall timescales compared to running them consecutively.
You can stay up to date with current and future roadworks as well as checking for live travel incidents at www.travelsomerset.co.uk or by following @TravelSomerset on Twitter.
ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP TROPHY TOUR, DRIVEN BY NISSAN, TO UNDERTAKE 100-DAY TOUR OF ENGLAND AND WALES
- 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
