Monday 9th December 2019
Planning Applications have been submitted by Redrow Homes for the Spine Road (34/19/0035) and Phase 1a of the new development (34/19/0036) for Staplegrove West.
In general the Spine Road application covers access from Staplegrove Road and Kingston Road.
The Phase 1a application covers the Drop Down Road temporary access in Corkscrew Lane and the first 173 dwellings of the overall develpment. There is also a statement regarding their policy on Affordable Housing.
Click on the application links above or go to Futher Information on this site to look at the full details.
Sunday 3rd November 2019
The meeting held on Thurs 31st provoked a lively discussion which raised a number of concerns mainly around the provision of highways. It was decided that members of the public would write to express their concerns before a full planning application was submitted.
A number of pertinent points are listed below,
The spine road must be designed to attract traffic currently using Manor Road / Corkscrew as a means of going East to West and vice versa . It must be a free flowing 30mph road which does not provide opportunity for vehicles to park on it [eg have designated visitors bays / yellow lines / no traffic calming /be a Clearway etc]
The spine road access onto Staplegrove Road should be a part of the Silk Mills roundabout
4 sets of lights [ Silk Mills roundabout / the new spine road access in the Staplegrove lay-by / Nuffield hospital / Staplegrove Post Office at Manor Road Junction will cause hold ups / traffic congestion. Traffic light phasing will not be effective / too many traffic lights in too short a distance !
It would be less expensive for developers and less disruptive to any closures of Staplegrove Road
The spine road must not be a “ road to nowhere” and SCC MUST consider extending it by the necessary “few hundred metres” to Nerrols Drive to create a much needed orbital route. This will ease central Taunton traffic congestion. This is not a Redrow problem but a future problem which SCC are creating by not looking holistically at road infrastructure in relation to Taunton’s housing developments. They need to be made aware that [ despite blinkered protestations there is no need for such a route!] there is a need – an urgent need!
The use of Corkscrew Lane as a drop down road.
We remain concerned that the Kingston Rd in / out management plan onto Corkscrew Lane proposed in the approved outline planning application to avoid construction traffic using Whitmore Road / Clifford Ave /Manor Rd must be robustly stipulated and monitored by SWaT
A list of possible recipients for letters is provided below
STAPLEGROVE WEST,TAUNTON Consultation Feedback
Deadline : Thursday November 7th
Post to Origin 3, Tyndall House, 17 Whiteladies Rd ,Bristol BS8 1PB
Email [email protected]
Highways contacts
SCC – Helen Vittery -- [email protected] and copy to
SWaT councillors
Mike Rigby [ portfolio holder planning and transportation] [email protected]
Staplegrove specific
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]
County Councillor [email protected]
Planning contacts
Case officer John Burton [email protected]
Head of planning Rebecca Miller [email protected]
Redrow
Elaine Olphert [ rep at exhibition and Redrow design manager for Staplegrove West Development] Elaine.olphert. [email protected]<[email protected]>;
Managing director of Redrow [email protected], Tel 01244 520044, Address is Redrow House, St David’s Park, Flintshire, CH5 3RX
*Company Chairman Sir Michael Lyons, St David’s Park, Flintshire, CH5 3RX
*Email address not available
Monday 28th October 2019
There is a meeting at Staplegrove Village Hall on Thursday Oct 31st at 7pm for an update and forward planning discussion after the recent public exhibition by Redrow. We are expecting a detailed application very soon so come along and stay informed.
Monday 14th October 2019
We have been made aware that Redrow ( developers for Staplegrove West) will be holding a public consultation on Tuesday 24th October at Taunton Vale Sports Club between 3pm and 7pm (final times currently subject to confirmation. This will be your opportunity to comment on the proposals as feedback from this may well shape the forthcoming detail application.
Wednesday 28th August 2019
The Section 106 Agreement, which covers the legal framework between The Council and developer, has been published for Staplegrove West. Click here to download it. Details can also be found on the Somerset West and Taunton (SWT) planning website. Go to Further Information on this site to visit the application page. This is another step towards a detail application which we are expecting from the developer Redrow later this year. They intend to build out the entire western part of the site including a commitment to the provide a Spine Road connecting Staplegrove Road to Kingston Road. There will also be an access off Corkscrew Lane as this has already been approved in the Outline application.
As far as we are aware Staplegrove East (PM Asset Management) have yet to put forward a developer or agreement for their part of the site, although they anticipate submitting an application in the early part of next year.
Friday 3rd May 2019
In order to clarify the recent reports in the Somerset Gazette regarding the HIF ( now £14.2 million) and the possible effect of the Council's Garden Town Vision on the Staplegrove development RoSAG and the chair of Staplegrove Parish Council met with officers at Somerset West and Taunton Council last week.
The Housing Infrastructure Fund.
The increased award from the HIF is to cover additional infrastructure relatling to the development with the whole amount being repaid by the developer to the Council. This money can then be used by The Council elsewhere in the town. The full conditions of the funding have yet to be confirmed by Central Government. Unfortunately this forward funding will not change the need for a drop down road at Corkscrew Lane as this had already been approved at the Outline Application planning meeting in October 2017.
The Garden Town Vision
The master plan and outline application was for 1628 houses and this is unlikely to change. It is hoped however that the developers will work with The Council and embrace the ethos of the Garden Town Vision thus adopting a higher quality of design than perhaps would have been the case before.
Cycle Access from the development to the town centre
On Saturday 27th April members of the Taunton Area Cycle Campaign (TACC) assembled at the junction of Gypsy Lane and Greenway Road to demonstrate this unsuitable option chosen by the County Council. This is intended to be the main route for cyclists travelling between the proposed new development and the town centre. They then cycled to their preferred option at the junction of Leslie Ave and Greenway Road stating that this route was safer and more direct. TACC were disappointed that SCC had not consultated sufficiently over this as they had been trying to engage with officers for some time.
Planning Applications have been submitted by Redrow Homes for the Spine Road (34/19/0035) and Phase 1a of the new development (34/19/0036) for Staplegrove West.
In general the Spine Road application covers access from Staplegrove Road and Kingston Road.
The Phase 1a application covers the Drop Down Road temporary access in Corkscrew Lane and the first 173 dwellings of the overall develpment. There is also a statement regarding their policy on Affordable Housing.
Click on the application links above or go to Futher Information on this site to look at the full details.
Sunday 3rd November 2019
The meeting held on Thurs 31st provoked a lively discussion which raised a number of concerns mainly around the provision of highways. It was decided that members of the public would write to express their concerns before a full planning application was submitted.
A number of pertinent points are listed below,
The spine road must be designed to attract traffic currently using Manor Road / Corkscrew as a means of going East to West and vice versa . It must be a free flowing 30mph road which does not provide opportunity for vehicles to park on it [eg have designated visitors bays / yellow lines / no traffic calming /be a Clearway etc]
The spine road access onto Staplegrove Road should be a part of the Silk Mills roundabout
4 sets of lights [ Silk Mills roundabout / the new spine road access in the Staplegrove lay-by / Nuffield hospital / Staplegrove Post Office at Manor Road Junction will cause hold ups / traffic congestion. Traffic light phasing will not be effective / too many traffic lights in too short a distance !
It would be less expensive for developers and less disruptive to any closures of Staplegrove Road
The spine road must not be a “ road to nowhere” and SCC MUST consider extending it by the necessary “few hundred metres” to Nerrols Drive to create a much needed orbital route. This will ease central Taunton traffic congestion. This is not a Redrow problem but a future problem which SCC are creating by not looking holistically at road infrastructure in relation to Taunton’s housing developments. They need to be made aware that [ despite blinkered protestations there is no need for such a route!] there is a need – an urgent need!
The use of Corkscrew Lane as a drop down road.
We remain concerned that the Kingston Rd in / out management plan onto Corkscrew Lane proposed in the approved outline planning application to avoid construction traffic using Whitmore Road / Clifford Ave /Manor Rd must be robustly stipulated and monitored by SWaT
A list of possible recipients for letters is provided below
STAPLEGROVE WEST,TAUNTON Consultation Feedback
Deadline : Thursday November 7th
Post to Origin 3, Tyndall House, 17 Whiteladies Rd ,Bristol BS8 1PB
Email [email protected]
Highways contacts
SCC – Helen Vittery -- [email protected] and copy to
SWaT councillors
Mike Rigby [ portfolio holder planning and transportation] [email protected]
Staplegrove specific
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]
County Councillor [email protected]
Planning contacts
Case officer John Burton [email protected]
Head of planning Rebecca Miller [email protected]
Redrow
Elaine Olphert [ rep at exhibition and Redrow design manager for Staplegrove West Development] Elaine.olphert. [email protected]<[email protected]>;
Managing director of Redrow [email protected], Tel 01244 520044, Address is Redrow House, St David’s Park, Flintshire, CH5 3RX
*Company Chairman Sir Michael Lyons, St David’s Park, Flintshire, CH5 3RX
*Email address not available
Monday 28th October 2019
There is a meeting at Staplegrove Village Hall on Thursday Oct 31st at 7pm for an update and forward planning discussion after the recent public exhibition by Redrow. We are expecting a detailed application very soon so come along and stay informed.
Monday 14th October 2019
We have been made aware that Redrow ( developers for Staplegrove West) will be holding a public consultation on Tuesday 24th October at Taunton Vale Sports Club between 3pm and 7pm (final times currently subject to confirmation. This will be your opportunity to comment on the proposals as feedback from this may well shape the forthcoming detail application.
Wednesday 28th August 2019
The Section 106 Agreement, which covers the legal framework between The Council and developer, has been published for Staplegrove West. Click here to download it. Details can also be found on the Somerset West and Taunton (SWT) planning website. Go to Further Information on this site to visit the application page. This is another step towards a detail application which we are expecting from the developer Redrow later this year. They intend to build out the entire western part of the site including a commitment to the provide a Spine Road connecting Staplegrove Road to Kingston Road. There will also be an access off Corkscrew Lane as this has already been approved in the Outline application.
As far as we are aware Staplegrove East (PM Asset Management) have yet to put forward a developer or agreement for their part of the site, although they anticipate submitting an application in the early part of next year.
Friday 3rd May 2019
In order to clarify the recent reports in the Somerset Gazette regarding the HIF ( now £14.2 million) and the possible effect of the Council's Garden Town Vision on the Staplegrove development RoSAG and the chair of Staplegrove Parish Council met with officers at Somerset West and Taunton Council last week.
The Housing Infrastructure Fund.
The increased award from the HIF is to cover additional infrastructure relatling to the development with the whole amount being repaid by the developer to the Council. This money can then be used by The Council elsewhere in the town. The full conditions of the funding have yet to be confirmed by Central Government. Unfortunately this forward funding will not change the need for a drop down road at Corkscrew Lane as this had already been approved at the Outline Application planning meeting in October 2017.
The Garden Town Vision
The master plan and outline application was for 1628 houses and this is unlikely to change. It is hoped however that the developers will work with The Council and embrace the ethos of the Garden Town Vision thus adopting a higher quality of design than perhaps would have been the case before.
Cycle Access from the development to the town centre
On Saturday 27th April members of the Taunton Area Cycle Campaign (TACC) assembled at the junction of Gypsy Lane and Greenway Road to demonstrate this unsuitable option chosen by the County Council. This is intended to be the main route for cyclists travelling between the proposed new development and the town centre. They then cycled to their preferred option at the junction of Leslie Ave and Greenway Road stating that this route was safer and more direct. TACC were disappointed that SCC had not consultated sufficiently over this as they had been trying to engage with officers for some time.
Thursday 28th February 2019
Our news item from December 16th last year mentioned that we had sent letters to all councillors who sat on the two planning committees concerning the Staplegrove development highlighting the fact that despite winning the bid for £7.2M (subject to scrutiny) from the HIF Marginal Viability fund the drop down road would still be needed. These councillors included Nick Townsend (planning committee member) and Caroline Tucker who both represent Staplegrove. To date neither of these councillors have replied or made their views known to us.
You will also recall that RoSAG approached Somerset County Highways in December 2017 outlining our concerns regarding the absence of lighting along Corkscrew Lane at the junction of the proposed drop down road at Village World. We followed this up with reminders in January 2018, September 2018, November 2018, December 2018 and raised an official complaint to the County Council in January 2019 as no written response had been received. The reply came back on 4th February 2019 to say that highway lighting would be considered "as the detailed proposals are further developed"
We still await the detailed applications and have been made aware that most probably Redrow are the developers who are interested in buying the whole of the western part of the site. Ptarmigan who are the land promotors for the west have indicated that Redrow have had several meetings with Taunton Deane but would only be in a position to talk to residents once they had completed the sale.
For the east, the land promotor PM Asset Management are still managing the project. We understand that whilst the east are in discussion with TDBC the west are futher ahead.
Our news item from December 16th last year mentioned that we had sent letters to all councillors who sat on the two planning committees concerning the Staplegrove development highlighting the fact that despite winning the bid for £7.2M (subject to scrutiny) from the HIF Marginal Viability fund the drop down road would still be needed. These councillors included Nick Townsend (planning committee member) and Caroline Tucker who both represent Staplegrove. To date neither of these councillors have replied or made their views known to us.
You will also recall that RoSAG approached Somerset County Highways in December 2017 outlining our concerns regarding the absence of lighting along Corkscrew Lane at the junction of the proposed drop down road at Village World. We followed this up with reminders in January 2018, September 2018, November 2018, December 2018 and raised an official complaint to the County Council in January 2019 as no written response had been received. The reply came back on 4th February 2019 to say that highway lighting would be considered "as the detailed proposals are further developed"
We still await the detailed applications and have been made aware that most probably Redrow are the developers who are interested in buying the whole of the western part of the site. Ptarmigan who are the land promotors for the west have indicated that Redrow have had several meetings with Taunton Deane but would only be in a position to talk to residents once they had completed the sale.
For the east, the land promotor PM Asset Management are still managing the project. We understand that whilst the east are in discussion with TDBC the west are futher ahead.