Somerset Council has confirmed it will allocate up to £607,000 to develop a new cycling link in Wellington, ensuring it is ready before the town’s new railway station opens. This strategic investment is part of a broader plan to enhance sustainable transport options as the area prepares for significant growth.
The new Wellington railway station, projected to cost around £20 million, will be situated north of the Lidl supermarket on Nynehead Road. Access to the station will be supported by a residential development of 161 homes by Bloor Homes South West, which includes pedestrian and cycling paths connecting the spine road to the Nynehead Road roundabout, and extending southward from the station car park along the B3187 Taunton Road towards the town center.
The council will utilize a central government grant from Active Travel England, under the Department for Transport, to upgrade cycling infrastructure between two main roundabouts. This upgrade aims to simplify travel between the town center and the new station by enhancing an existing shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists, and eliminating stretches where cyclists currently must share the road with vehicles.
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This enhancement is part of the draft local transport plan, expected to be finalized in spring 2026, which includes detailed design and construction for the Taunton Road corridor (from Nynehead roundabout to Lillebonne Way roundabout). The cycle link forms part of ‘Route 2’ in Wellington’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which, once complete, will provide an off-road connection from the town center to the Chelston roundabout, with further links to the Westpark 26 business park.
Currently, cyclists face limited facilities just east of Cades Gardens, where they must navigate shared roadways until reaching the Taunton Road roundabout. The planned improvements will provide safer, off-road options along this corridor.
A council spokesperson stated, “Our intention is to construct this Active Travel England-funded scheme by March 2027, meeting the funder’s timeline requirements.”
The council is expected to make a decision on the Bloor Homes housing proposals by spring 2026. Given the importance of the project, the decision will likely be made publicly by the council’s planning committee west, responsible for major applications in the Somerset West and Taunton area.
Separately, Network Rail plans to submit an application early next year for the station and related infrastructure, aiming for construction to commence with the station scheduled to open in 2028.