ST. MODWEN SET TO DELIVER FIRST PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT AT FIREPOOL

St. Modwen, the UK’s regeneration specialist, will shortly submit an outline planning application for the first phase of commercial and residential development at the £270 million Firepool regeneration scheme in Taunton.

The application, due to be submitted in June, will involve transforming the 4.5 acre Priory Bridge Road car park, located alongside the River Tone corridor, into 110,000 sq ft of contemporary office space, together with new high quality apartments overlooking the river.

Pete Davies, Development Manager for St. Modwen, commented: “This new office space will offer a unique opportunity to occupiers which has been lacking in central Taunton. The site is within a short riverside walk of the town centre and the mainline railway station in a fantastic setting on the banks of the River Tone. This development will transform Taunton by bringing new life into its town centre.”

Firepool, located at the former livestock market at the heart of Taunton, is the first phase of Project Taunton*, a 123 acre town centre regeneration scheme. Being delivered by St. Modwen in partnership with Taunton Deane Borough Council, Firepool comprises 16.5 acres of brownfield land which will be redeveloped on a phased basis over 12 years. When complete, the development will include 500,000 sq ft of office space, leisure facilities such as cafes, restaurants and a foodstore, a hotel and over 400 homes. It is anticipated the project will create more than 4,000 jobs locally.

Ian Franklin, Project Director of Project Taunton, said: “Firepool is a great location for business in the South West; it’s right next to the mainline railway to London, five minutes drive from Junction 25 of the M5 and equidistant from two international airports. The plans for this first phase of development will provide high quality, sustainable offices, set against a new park area on the banks of the River Tone - it will be a tremendous place to live and work.”

The plans, which mark the next major milestone in establishing Firepool as the new commercial heart of Taunton, follow on from a public realm planning application submitted by St. Modwen earlier this year to deliver enhancement works around the River Tone corridor, including a new river park on the existing car park site.
In advance of submitting the outline planning application, St. Modwen will host a Public Consultation event at the recently refurbished Auction House located off Priory Bridge Road at the Firepool scheme on Wednesday, 12 May 2010.