Wellington could get a new park and ride service transporting visitors between the M5 and the town centre as part of a vision for its future. Somerset West and Taunton Council has created the Wellington Place Plan, which will inform future decisions about the development, regeneration and conservation of the town over the coming decades.

The plan was put together following initial consultation in October 2022, with the final draft going out for further feedback in January. The plan has now been ratified by the council in one of its final actions before being abolished and replaced by the new unitary Somerset Council, which took control on April 1.

Unlike the Local Plan, the Wellington Place Plan does not allocate specific sites for further housing, employment or other uses. However, it does identify specific areas which could be enhanced as a result of development, government funding or other forms of investment.

Here are the ten top priorities for the future of Wellington, as identified in the plan:

Develop a strategy to protect the town centre: while Wellington does have an attractive town centre with a good range of independent outlets, it also has a large number of vacant units. The council aims to create a strategy which could attract new commercial investment to the town, supporting small businesses and aiming to “exploit the success of Wellington’s identity as a centre for craft, local food and independent businesses”. Work will also be done to improve the regular market, enhance the night-time economy and find inventive uses for vacant units until they can be filled.

Secure a park and ride site: the council has identified that land east of the Chelston link road (known locally as the ‘concrete carriageway’ could be used as the site of a new park and ride service. By providing a site near Junction 26 of the M5, it would reduce the number of vehicles moving through the town centre, cutting congestion and improving air quality. Along the same lines, the council also wants to explore options to remove articulated lorries from the town centre, increase the frequency of local bus services, and provide more on-street charging points for electric vehicles

Open the new railway station as soon as possible: the final business case for the new Wellington railway station will be submitted by Network Rail to the Department for Transport (DfT) by the end of the current year. If approved, the council hopes that the new station can be up and running by May 2025. The council intends for the new station site – located north of the new Lidl store off Nynehead Road – to be a “transport hub”, where people can easily make onward connection with local buses and bicycles.

Create an integrated cycle network for the town: in addition to the town centre serving as a transport hub, the council wants to expand Wellington’s cycle network to encourage more active travel for work and pleasure. To this end, it envisions the creation of new “cycle hub” at key locations across the town, including the major commercial centres near the M5 and in the Tonedale region. Improved signage and maps to show the relevant connections, as in Taunton or Bridgwater, may also be secured.

Regenerate the Tonedale Mill and Tone Works sites: Tonedale Mill and Tone Works at the town’s northern edge have been subject to numerous regeneration efforts to protect their heritage and bring them back into community or commercial use. While around £1m of government grants has been spent on protecting the area, the council has also twice failed to secure £20m from the government’s levelling up fund to enhance the town. A third bid, if pursued, is likely to be submitted later in the year.

Improve the appearance of the town centre: the council is keen to enhance Wellington’s public realm, making the town more presentable for potential businesses and visitors. It will create a public realm improvement plan, detailing possible face-lifts to shop-fronts, “creative adaptive reuse” of obsolete structures and improved lighting. In particular, the council will “explore the potential to create a public space in front of the former Post Office building” on Fore Street

Manage and enhance local green spaces: the town’s green spaces are currently overseen by Wellington Town Council’s green corridor advisory board – including the Fox’s Fields site near Tonedale Mill and The Basins, which forms a green wedge between Wellington and Rockwell Green. The council will seek to ensure these existing green spaces are protected, with new green corridors being created where new housing is proposed. New orchards and allotments could also be provided to meet local demand.

Invest in footpaths and cycle paths: Wellington currently benefits from access to a large number of footpaths and other rights of way, connecting the town with the neighbouring villages and the Blackdown Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). To encourage more cycling and walking, the council wants to invest in new connections and provide funding for better maintenance of the existing network. A local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP), which will outline and prioritise improvements, is currently in the works.

Deliver a new cycle route between Wellington and Taunton: the A38 is a key road connecting Wellington and Taunton, taking a large amount of daily commuter traffic and serving as the main relief road when the M5 is congested. The council committed £50,000 to a new study in September 2022, which is expected to report later this year. Delivering the route could be a complicated and expensive undertaking, and may depend a lot on negotiations with local landowners.

Provide better training and employment options for school leavers: Wellington, like many parts of Somerset, experiences something of a ‘brain drain’ annually, with young people leaving the area to find work in the absence of well-paid jobs. The council will work with local employers and higher education institutions to see what new courses and training can be provided to encourage local employment. This will include “heritage conservation and craft skills” for local pupils.

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and transport, told the full council in Taunton on March 28 that the plan would help to ensure Wellington would grow in the right areas at appropriate times.

He said: “Wellington has much to be said for it. It’s a great location, it has a fabulous selection of independent shops, huge amounts of heritage and a railway station to come.

“We need to direct the change that is coming to Wellington, and this place plan does exactly that.”

Mr Rigby sits on the new unitary Somerset Council as division member for Lydeard (representing the villages at the southern end of the Quantock Hills AONB), and is also the portfolio holder for transport and digital.