Taunton Vision
Andy Ward and Geraint Hughes led a multidisciplinary team which prepared the RTPI award-winning Urban Design Framework for Taunton town centre.
The Framework included proposals for a mixed-use destination at Firepool, the former cattle market site, including shops, restaurants, apartments and a new office quarter between the railway station and the town centre. The strategy also included the delivery of major new infrastructure, including two new river crossings and a new distributor road, which were critical to addressing accessibility issues and removing unnecessary traffic from the town centre.
A key to the success of the strategy was the retention of Somerset Cricket Club. We showed how the ground could be expanded to host international cricket and create development value without losing its iconic town centre location.
