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00:00Good morning once again, people of Somerset. It's Daniel Mumby, your local democracy reporter,
00:06and welcome to another weekend live stream on a bright, reasonably clear, but chilly
00:12Saturday morning. You join me today on the northern edge of Taunton. I'm standing at
00:16the junction of Lingford Lane and Cheddarn Road, next to a working farm. This road skirts
00:21off up into the Quantock Hills, and today we are going to be exploring one of the major
00:26developments on the northern edge of Taunton, the northern hedge, there is a hedge right
00:30next to me, the northern edge of Taunton, the Nerrells Farm development, and essentially
00:35what we're going to be doing for the next 20 to 30 minutes is we're going to be talking
00:39about phase three of that development. We're going to be walking from here, right on the
00:43fringes of Somerset's county town, along an existing public right of way, down onto Bossington
00:48Drive, and all the way to both Lingford Park Primary School, and eventually ending up at
00:53Nerrells Primary School, just north of the Pryor's Wood area. And, as per usual with
00:59these live streams, if you have any comments or questions as we go through, do drop them
01:03in and I'll try and respond to as many of them as I can. If I don't have the answers
01:07on me, I will try and find them out retrospectively when we put together an article based on this
01:12piece. So, why are we talking about this major development? Particularly if you've been living
01:19in Taunton for a while, the first two phases of Nerrells Farm have been built out gradually
01:24over the last few years. So, what is the issue today? Well, last month, Somerset Council's
01:31Planning Committee met to discuss phase three, comprising 292 homes, which would finish up
01:40at the T Junction where we started. I say T Junction, it's kind of a, just a curve at
01:44the moment. The idea being that David Wilson Homes, who are leading the development, sorry
01:50for all the dogs in the background, instead of delivering a through road linking up the
01:57phase two site with these last few homes, which are going to be built on the land just
02:01to our right now, they instead are going to leave that isolated with a single road link
02:08onto Linkford Lane, forcing people who need to take their children to school to either
02:15use the existing public rights-of-way or, as many parents have testified, more likely
02:21to have to drive all the way around through Cheddon Road past another development site
02:26that is planned by Gladman Developments and causing more congestion in the town centre.
02:32Now a decision on those plans was deferred to allow for a site visit and more information
02:38to come forward about a supposed ransom strip that lies in the middle between the phase
02:44two and three sites. David Wilson Homes claims that they can't build any connecting road
02:51across that strip because it's not in their ownership, notwithstanding the fact that much
02:55of the land in this area is owned by the Crown Estate and therefore you would think they'd
03:01be more willing to sell it than your common or garden private landowner. So those negotiations
03:06are continuing and what I'm doing today is showing, first of all, how isolated this site
03:14is from the rest of the Nerrells Farm Estate, but also looking at, pragmatically speaking,
03:22how easy it will be to actually walk or cycle to the nearest primary and secondary schools
03:30from the phase three site. Like I say, the houses, if approved, and there is an in-principle
03:35consent because they were in the Taunton Dean course strategy, the equivalent of the
03:39local plan in these parts, that this was an allocated site and like I say phases one and
03:43two are now largely built out along with the Nerrells Primary School which opened a few
03:47years back. But the new houses in phase three, if these revised plans go ahead, will come
03:53right up to this hedgerow and the track that we're walking along now is a public right
03:58of way. So this will continue to exist. We're not sure whether this will be upgraded itself
04:04because it is used by the farm, hence why I'm keeping an eye and an ear out for any
04:09tractors moving around. We've already run into a few on the way into Taunton. But there
04:15will be walking and cycling routes provided within the site that will link up to Bossington
04:20Drive and onto the primary schools which is where we'll be heading very shortly. The track
04:26is, it's muddy, it's stony, we've had very little rain over the last few days so it's
04:31quite dry underfoot but I'm not sure I would want to venture out this way in the bleakest
04:37of midwinters. And again it is quite surreal just being out on the edge of Somerset's largest
04:46town by population. Taunton has a population of around 60,000 and growing and yet you'd
04:52swear we were in the open countryside miles from anywhere. And it's one of the reasons
04:58that these developments have been so contentious. People accept to a certain extent that development
05:02of some kind is needed in this area because we need more low-cost housing and people want
05:08their children to go to school locally wherever possible. However, it's important to get the
05:13design details of these right, not just to ensure safe journeys for everyone concerned
05:18but also to ensure the character of the landscape is preserved as greatly as possible. Now as
05:27you can see, the existing rights of way do bend round through into this field. The development
05:35sort of forms a strange wedge that cuts through the existing farmland and I'm just going to
05:40double check. I think we're heading in the right direction because we need to bend south
05:45through that little gap in the trees and that will take us out to Bossington Drive. But
05:51just to think that if the decision goes ahead, this field will look a lot like that one in
05:58front of us in the coming years as David Wilson Homes do their work. If you happen to just
06:04join me this morning, it's Daniel Mumby, your local democracy reporter. I'm out exploring
06:09the Nerrell's Farm site at the northern edge of Taunton which David Wilson Homes is delivering.
06:13The first two phases are already largely built out but we're talking about phase three, comprising
06:19292 new homes and the contentious access proposals which are currently being worked
06:27on by Somerset Council's planning team and the developer. Essentially, originally the
06:33plans envisioned a through road from phase two and three. So we go through this kissing
06:39gate and forward this tiny little stream. See what condition the right of way is. There's
06:46quite a lot of branches in the way but we should be fine. Yes, so originally the phase
06:51two site was going to have a direct road link through to phase three and that was put forward
07:01at the outline stage. David Wilson Homes said it would be doable. However, now that that
07:07ransom strip has reared its head, it may not be so possible. And not only is that not so
07:13possible, but this is not so passable. You can see this is still a public footpath of
07:19sorts or more of a bridleway I suppose, although trees are far too low for a bridleway. And
07:25this is one element that I think they will need to seriously upgrade as and when phase
07:31three is delivered because at the moment, even just from me walking through here, you
07:36can see all the footprints. It is muddy, it is uneven and it is heavily overgrown.
07:45Things you did not expect to happen on a Saturday, getting stuck in a load of brambles on a muddy
07:50track. Place your bets now as to how long it takes me to fall over. On the other hand,
07:59I'm glad that I've worn a thick jumper today because that attaching to the brambles is
08:04one of the things keeping me stable. Who thinks I'll be taking a slightly different
08:07route home? This is quite absurd actually, how deep the mud is and now it's gone in my
08:16shoes. Yeah, this is, that is really quite ridiculous. Reinforces another point I suppose
08:28we should make, which is although this is a public right of way, Somerset Council's
08:34rights of way funding has been cut over the last 10 to 15 years. It is not always possible
08:42for them to maintain every single listed footpath to the best of their abilities. And I am surprised
08:52to be honest that this route has not been upgraded sooner. It is very difficult to get
09:00through there. Just take a look back at where we've come. If you imagine that bad now, imagine
09:10how bad it would be having to walk through that in pouring rain at the heart of winter
09:14when it's dark. You could easily fall over and break your neck if you're not careful.
09:21And yes, I really should have worn Wellingtons today, but that's my fault. We'll cross that
09:26bridge when we come to it. So let me bring things back on track, having not fallen over
09:34fortunately, with some of the problems that were raised about the phase three design when
09:42it came to Somerset Council's Planning Committee West last month. This is the committee that
09:49handles all major applications within the former Somerset-Western Taunton area. And
09:56suffice to say, there was a great strength of local feeling about the access arrangements.
10:02Fortunately for me, we are now coming out onto the main road. So we can take a little
10:11pause, put this into context and we can see where we need to go from here. It is a public
10:23footpath, just to confirm, though it is by far and away one of the riskiest that I've
10:27explored in recent memory. So we're now on Bossington Drive, which becomes Nerrells Road.
10:34We cross over there and we will work our way south. Good morning.
10:43Fortunately for me, like I say, the rest of this route
10:46is on shared-use pedestrian and cycle paths, so we shouldn't run into any more problems.
10:57And fortunately, the sun is not too bright and high. We're getting constant lens flare.
11:02There's a little bit overhead, but thank you for bearing with me.
11:07So like I say, the committee discussed the plans at length last month and agreed for a deferment.
11:16And there were numerous protesters at that meeting, at County Hall, who made their voices
11:20clearly heard. And I'm just going to read you a couple of statements now. This is from Mark Dirk,
11:25who lives in the neighbouring village of Cheddar and Fitzpain. Here's what he had to say.
11:30This site, the Nerrells Farm development, should be developed but not like this. I strongly suggest
11:36that councillors visit the site and its locality before making a decision. The abandonment of the
11:41route through the site is perverse and unsound. You should really reduce the number of car parking
11:48spaces and encourage active travel. This compromises the Gardentown vision and the
11:55lanes to the north will become rat runs to the M5. We had a similar opinion from Marcus Walker,
12:03who said the sensible choice here would be to reinstate the original plan of a road through
12:08the Nerrells Estate, which would come out onto Bossington Drive. The exit at the top of Lingford
12:13Lane does not allow for easy access onto Cheddarn Road. It is directly opposite a blind bend,
12:18is surrounded by high hedges and is opposite a busy working farm. Mr Walker estimates that the
12:24new development of 292 houses, forming phase three of Nerrells Farm, would attract somewhere
12:31in the region of 2,000 vehicle movements a day, which is why it's all the more crucial as we
12:37continue through the existing estate that enhancements to walking and cycling links
12:43like this are needed. I mean, in order to deliver a path of this width on the connection that we used,
12:51it's going to be incredibly difficult. So you're either going to have to build a new one from
12:56scratch, linking up to the right of way, right at the top of the site, or I suppose at a push,
13:02you could just tarmac it, leave it as a single lane and take it from there.
13:10We're deliberately filming these live streams on weekends so that we can
13:15get close to the schools without running into safeguarding problems. We try and avoid filming
13:19children without their consent wherever humanly possible. When you're out in busy public spaces,
13:24it's very hard to without constantly patting the camera left, right and centre, but we do our best
13:29and it is satisfying at least that these links, even if it's quite quiet today, are present
13:36so that people who want to walk and cycle to school
13:39and on a day like this, on a weekday, why wouldn't you want to, that they can be used.
13:45If you've only just joined me, it's Daniel Mumby here, your local democracy reporter.
13:50We are heading in the direction of Nerrell's Farm Primary School. I was originally going to
13:57double round and have a look at Lingford Park, but one of the issues that was raised when a
14:04number of parents objected to the plans last month was that Nerrell's Primary School is the main
14:09catchment for this whole estate and Lingford Park is in a different catchment area. That may change
14:15as pupil numbers grow, but that's the case for the moment, so we will confine ourselves to that.
14:23Now, it's worth pointing out that the aspirations for linking Nerrell's Farm
14:28as we turn left form part and parcel of something called the Taunton Local Cycling and Walking
14:36Infrastructure Plan, which was created by Somerset County Council back in 2021, so a few years ago now,
14:46which looked at the town's existing cycle network and identified a number of improvements which
14:51would be needed. One of those aspirations, in a more general sense, was looking at the
14:58major urban extensions, so Nerrell's Farm here, Orchard Grove, Staple Grove, Moncton Heathfield,
15:05so on and so forth, and Killhams down in the south, that's the one I was forgetting,
15:09and looking at ways to deliver walking and cycling links so that you wouldn't create
15:14ghettoization of people who are unable to access services without a car. I think we make an
15:21assumption that people always drive, even if it's only short distances, but there are plenty of
15:26people who move into properties on these new estates who are either unwilling to drive or,
15:33through health complications, become unable to, and that causes great problems in terms of social
15:38isolation. It leads to mental health issues, worsening social issues, and so if you can future
15:46proof these new estates, it ends up costing you a lot less money in the long run, not only to
15:54avoid delivering new paths after the event, but also looking at ways
15:59to avoid costs for the NHS and the care system whilst we're at it. All of these things fit
16:05together quite nicely if you think about them long enough. Now, like I say, we don't yet have
16:11a decision date for when Phase 3 will be back before the Planning Committee West. We know that
16:17it's not happening at their meeting next week, though there will be a number of important
16:23applications coming up there, including the facilities around the planned railway station
16:29in Wellington, and new wetlands that will help to unlock the eastern part of the Saple Grove
16:35Urban Extension, and we hope to be back in Taunton next weekend to do another live stream on that
16:41very subject. But for now, we've come to near the bottom of Nerrell's Drive, which turns into
16:48Bossington Road further up, and we will be crossing over on this little island here,
16:59and getting up to the border of the primary school where we'll be finishing things off.
17:05There have been numerous objections to Phase 3, including from the Taunton Area Cycling Campaign,
17:10who have listed a number of concerns with the planned links onto the existing network, as we
17:17cross over quickly, and also, unusually, from the local MP. Normally MPs don't get involved in
17:26detail in the planning system. It's because they're making the laws around planning, it would
17:30be a big conflict of interest if they then stuck their head above the parapet and opposed any
17:34building in their constituencies, but Gideon Amos, your local MP, has raised serious concerns about
17:40the access arrangements, as asking planning officers and the developer to seriously rethink
17:46things, and hopefully his words carry some weight, because whether you approve of the new developments
17:53or not, if the homes do go ahead, the last thing we want is a design which puts children and parents
17:58in danger. So there we have it, we've reached near the bottom of Nerrell's Drive, and you can see the
18:06primary school just there, which still looks in fantastic condition. It's been open a few years
18:11now, with a nursery inside. Like a lot of primary schools that have been built in Somerset in recent
18:17years, this does have the ability to expand if more pupil numbers are required. As Phase 3 gets
18:23built up, that will be looked at, along with the catchment areas of the neighbouring Linkford Park,
18:28and so on and so forth, and that's a situation that we'll be monitoring very closely.
18:32Anyway, I hope this has been informative. I know that we almost went completely bum over tea kettle
18:37on that muddy bridleway, and it's going to take a while for my trainers to recover from that, but
18:42that's entirely on me. If you missed any part of this stream, it will be available on our
18:48social media platforms for the next 30 days, because of Facebook changing its policy. After
18:53that it will be automatically deleted, but we will be looking at putting hard copies out elsewhere
18:58for posterity, and I shall be hopefully back in Taunton next weekend for another live stream,
19:04focusing on Staple Grove East. We'll be looking at the wetland site, and then judging how easy
19:09it is to walk or cycle from there to the town's railway station. I hope you can join me then.
19:14In the meantime, I hope you have a brilliant rest of the weekend. This is Daniel Mumby,
19:18your local democracy reporter, saying bye for now, and good luck to England in the last match
19:22of the Six Nations.