Developers overseeing Taunton’s largest housing project, Orchard Grove, have confirmed there are no plans to install street lighting along Lipe Hill Lane, a crucial pedestrian and cycling route within the development. The expansive site, which will ultimately feature 2,000 homes alongside commercial spaces, a primary school, a care home, and a new park and bus facility, stretches between the A38 Wellington Road and Honiton Road on Taunton’s western edge.
Recently, Lipe Hill Lane was closed to vehicle traffic and repurposed as a pedestrian and cycling path linking to Egremont Road at the heart of Orchard Grove. Local resident Jo Taswell, who frequently uses this path for her commute to Musgrove Park Hospital, has raised safety concerns about the path’s lack of lighting, especially during the winter months when it becomes pitch black.
However, the Orchard Grove development consortium—which includes Taylor Wimpey, Bovis Homes, Linden Homes, and LiveWest—has declined requests to install lighting on Lipe Hill Lane. They explained that other lit routes would be delivered later in the construction timetable. According to them, lighting along the lane is restricted due to ecological protections for sensitive wildlife species such as bats and dormice inhabiting the area.
Local resident Judy Stainthorpe added clarity, noting that lighting cannot be introduced on Lipe Hill Lane because of its negative impact on local bat populations. She mentioned that a new lit pedestrian and cycle path, part of the next phase of housing near the water retention basin, will connect to Lipe Hill Lane at its lower end and provide a safer alternative.
The consortium emphasized that the development has been designed to prioritize sustainable travel, promoting walking and cycling by providing safe, well-lit routes elsewhere on the site. Two key lit pedestrian and cycle paths are planned: one part of the bus gate link on the eastern edge expected to be completed and illuminated by the end of the year, and another within Hortsbridge Park, currently undergoing design work.
Somerset Council confirmed that street lighting on Lipe Hill Lane was considered during the initial planning stages but ultimately ruled out to protect local wildlife. While basic lighting has been installed at intersections, pedestrians are encouraged to use alternative lit routes and the bus gate junction until the new paths are operational.