Somerset Council has confirmed that Taunton will not see a new secondary school until at least 2030, despite ongoing housing developments increasing local demand. The council’s planning committee recently approved plans for 209 new homes within the Orchard Grove development—one of three major ‘urban extensions’ designated to deliver much of Taunton’s new housing stock.
While Orchard Grove already includes a primary school, calls from Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos and local councillor Habib Farbahi to add a secondary school, health hub, and complete a spine road through the site have yet to be met. Senior planning officer Simon Fox acknowledged that existing secondary schools in Taunton are experiencing ongoing “pressures,” but a new secondary school is still not scheduled in the near future.
Concerns were raised by Councillor Nick O’Donnell, whose division includes the nearby Staplegrove urban extension—a significant development featuring 1,628 homes, commercial space, and a primary school. He noted that the closest secondary school, the Castle School, is already oversubscribed and questioned whether current developments provide an opportunity for new secondary education facilities.
READ MORE: Car Crashes into Home in Puriton, Driver Rescued by Firefighters
READ MORE: Teenager Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of 9-Year-Old Aria Thorpe in Weston-super-Mare
Councillor Simon Coles echoed these concerns, highlighting the Castle School’s consistent over-subscription over the past 20 years. However, Simon Fox clarified that although pressures exist, secondary schools in Taunton are not officially over capacity at this time. He warned that within the next four to five years, as developments like Orchard Grove, Staplegrove, and Monkton Heathfield progress, demand for secondary school places could become acute.
Funding for new schools often comes from Section 106 agreements tied to specific developments or through the broader Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which pools resources from multiple projects. Orchard Grove is notably the only site in the southwest to receive financial backing from the government’s New Homes Accelerator Fund, aimed at overcoming development obstacles. However, it remains unclear if any of this funding will contribute to building a new secondary school.
Fox reassured councillors that ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) aim to address these challenges. He stated that council officers are actively engaging with central government to prioritize the issue and hope to alleviate school capacity concerns before they escalate.