Committed to making Taunton deliver

TAUNTON, U.K. - Aug. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- The way we see it...

For the past eight months, TauntonForward has been making strenuous efforts to engage with the Leadership of Taunton Deane Council on a strategy to rejuvenate our town. These efforts culminated in a successful “Summit” meeting a month ago when both Council and TF found common ground and agreed an action plan for Taunton’s immediate future as well as for the longer term.

One of the short term objectives, spearheaded exclusively by TauntonForward, was the immediate “clean-up” of Taunton. The Conservative Leadership, with their most senior officers, endorsed our recommendations and agreed to inject £60,000 of new monies into the clean-up operation.

To our dismay, this plan was torpedoed by the LibDem opposition, supported by the other minority parties. A veto made on specious and shallow grounds which aimed to put their political ambitions ahead of the wishes of the people of this town.

The net result of the LibDem’s action might have been to delay the big push to tidy up Taunton by some six months: to transform it into a place we can be proud of, and to better prepare us for attracting more visitors, shoppers and, not least, investors interested in helping us develop the town in the long term.

But, we now hear, there may have been a change of heart. An exceptional motion will be put to Council on 19^th August. We await the outcome of the re-vote with the keenest interest.

More positively, TauntonForward can report that the outcome of our many talks with the Council has resulted in good progress elsewhere.

We are setting up a Panel of independent, private sector experts (all Members of TF) to examine the long term redevelopment of Taunton. This panel, which will include senior representatives from the Council, will examine, among other projects, the best approach to transforming the Firepool and Coal Orchard sites. For example, we believe Somerset’s county town deserves a large 1,000 plus-seater performing arts centre tailor-made for professional national and international production companies. This would transform Taunton, making it a major destination for visitors from across the Westcountry and well beyond.

In addition, we are already actively delivering expert advice and assistance to the Council on communications and marketing strategy to promote Taunton more effectively. We are committed to assisting the Council in any way we can to achieve our shared goals.

And, finally, we are beginning to develop plans for a major international arts festival in 2017.

Within the membership of TauntonForward we have the drive and expertise to help our town deliver these initiatives. As a taskforce, we are strictly non-political. But we need to work closely with the Council to achieve these goals irrespective of its political complexion… and all for the direct benefit of the people of Taunton, not for the satisfaction of our politicians’ whims!

Directors of TauntonForward

Dr John Newton, Chairman & Headmaster of Taunton School

Richard Haste, Vice Chairman & Senior Partner, AmicusLaw

Pam Knight, Executive Director & Director, White Knight Marketing

Lizzie James, Director & Director LJAssist

David Griffin, Director & Senior Partner, Albert Goodman

Peter Lewis, Director & Trustee, Music on the Quantocks

Alan Garbutt, Director & Chairman, Hammets Wharf Management

Kit Chapman, Director & Proprietor, The Castle at Taunton

For details of membership of TauntonForward, please email info@tauntonforward.com