Somerset Council is approaching a crucial deadline to deliver a new, wider bridge over the River Tone in Taunton town centre, with the project largely funded through central government grants. The council secured planning permission in August 2024 to replace the existing Morrisons footbridge, which connects the Morrisons supermarket to the Brewhouse Theatre, with a modern, wider structure designed to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.
While the project has experienced repeated delays over the past two years - partly due to the council prioritising other regeneration projects such as new boulevards within the Firepool site - officials say the final designs are nearly complete and now await feedback from statutory bodies. However, with just over six months remaining to formally approve the scheme and appoint a contractor, the council faces pressure to proceed quickly to avoid returning the funding to the Treasury.
The update on the bridge was included in a recent report on Somerset Council’s capital programme, which was presented to the executive committee in Taunton earlier in August. The same report also noted delays in two new primary schools in Chard and the Wilstock estate near Bridgwater due to rising projected costs.
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According to a council spokesperson, the replacement bridge will feature a four-metre-wide deck and a new ramp on the Morrisons side, along with enhancements to public realm and landscaping. This width complies with the Department for Transport’s Local Transport Note 1/20 (LTN 1/20) guidelines, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to safely share the crossing. Currently, cyclists must dismount on the narrow existing bridge, which links to National Cycle Network route 3 along the north bank of the River Tone and to the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal.
The existing north bank ramp will be replaced by steps, with a longer and shallower ramp installed on the opposite side to improve accessibility. The project’s estimated cost stands at around £2 million as of 2024, with additional funding beyond the Future High Streets Fund expected to come from local housing developments through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
Taunton was awarded nearly £14 million from the Conservative government’s Future High Streets Fund in December 2020 for various town centre improvements, including the Firepool boulevards and upgrades to the A38 Upper High Street crossing. The majority of this funding has already been allocated.
The spokesperson confirmed that a key decision will be required for the project to advance to construction, which is anticipated to take about six months. Should Somerset Council decide not to proceed, it will have fewer than six months to negotiate the possible reallocation of the remaining grant funding with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Failure to appoint a contractor by 31 March 2027 or to reach an agreement on alternative uses for the grant would necessitate returning the funds to central government.
If the project moves forward, the grant conditions require the new bridge to be completed and operational by April 2028, offering Taunton residents a safer and more accessible route linking key parts of the town centre.