Barwood Developments and Wilson Connolly have won planning consent for a 5,110 sq m (55,000 sq ft) retail warehouse development in Taunton, Somerset.
New occupiers to the town – including furniture and DIY retailers- are believed to be lining up to take units of over (10,000 sq ft) in the scheme which will form the second phase of the 11,148 sq m (120,000 sq ft) Taunton Retail Park.
Occupiers currently on the park include Homebase, Comet and Currys.
The decision to grant planning permission for was made by Taunton Deane Borough Council following the publication of a vitality and viability study which said that retail developments out of town had not adversely affected the health of the town centre.
A previous application for the extension to the Park was turned down, but the publication of the retail report – and an agreement that no unit would be less than 929 sq m (10,000 sq ft) – meant that the new application could be approved.
There is a Sainsbury’s foodstore and an Odeon cinema next to the Retail Park.
King Sturge & Co, Jarman & Co and Hatfield White are acting for the developers. Hillier Parker and Colin Buchanan & Co compiled the report, entitled Taunton town centre vitality and viability study.
EGi News 21/07/97
