Plans progress for new Somerset railway station
They could move forward if proposals for new homes are approvedProposed site of Wellington station
Efforts to build a new railway station in Somerset could soon move a step closer – if plans for 220 new homes are approved.
Somerset West and Taunton Council and Mid Devon District Council put together plans to re-open Wellington and Cullompton railway stations, which both closed during the infamous Beeching cuts of the mid-1960s.
The final business case for the new Wellington station is currently being assembled by Network Rail (which is now leading the project) ahead of a formal decision by the Department for Transport (DfT).
Plans have now been submitted to Somerset Council for a major new housing development in Wellington which would provide the access road to the new railway station.
West of England Developments (Taunton) Ltd. held an initial consultation in August 2022 on the development, which at that stage comprised 220 homes, a care home, commercial space and an access road off Nynehead Road to the railway station site.
Most of these elements have survived in the formal planning application – though all references to a care home have been removed.
Under the proposals, the existing access road off Nynehead Road (which serves the recently-opened Lidl supermarket) will be extended north-west direction as far as the railway line, ending at a new car park for the station (which will be the subject of a separate planning application).
The development either side of the new spine road will be predominantly residential, but with commercial space being concentrated near the station and at the entrance from Nynehead Road.
Of the 220 homes allocated for the site, 55 will be affordable – the equivalent of 25 per cent, in line with the planning policies inherited from Taunton Deane Borough Council.
At the western edge of the site, a new park will be created to provide a buffer between the new homes and the existing Longworth Farm development, with pedestrian and cycling links being provided from the station through the park to both Lillebonne Way and the B3187 Taunton Road.
A new toucan crossing will be constructed on Taunton Road, making it easier for those living within the Cades Farm development to access the station without using a car.
A spokesman for Focus on Design (representing the developer) said: “Foot-ways and safe crossing facilities are available on the surrounding road network to enable future employees, residents and visitors to access local facilities.
“Cycle facilities are provided along the B3187 to enable safe connections to the town centre and other facilities. The roads surrounding the site are on gentle gradients, which is conducive for cyclists.
“Bus stops are provided on Taunton Road within 500 metres (a six-minute walk) of the northern edge of the site. These bus stops are served by several bus services including the 22, which provides the most frequent service and provides a frequent link between Wellington and Taunton throughout the week.
“Thus, future residents, employees and visitors will be able to travel by bus throughout the week to a range of destinations including Rockwell Green, Wellington and Taunton (including Musgrove Park Hospital).”
The developer is currently delivering 33 homes off Newton Road in North Petherton, which was approved by Sedgemoor District Council in March 2022.
It also has outline permission to construct 28 homes on Derham Close in Creech St. Michael (with a reserved matters application currently being deliberated) and a further 15 homes on St. Peter’s Close in Ilton, near Ilminster.
The new railway station is expected to cost £15m (funded entirely by the DfT), with councillors and rail experts believing that services could start calling there from May 2025.
David Northey, a retired strategic planner with Network Rail, stated at a public meeting held in Wellington on May 18 that the station would initially be served by trains every two hours as part of the Great Western Railway (GWR) service between Exeter St. David’s and Cardiff Central.
However, he said this likely increase to once per hour as demand grew, citing the success of the recently-reopened Okehempton station on the northern edge of the Dartmoor national park.
He said: “Your town becomes visible across the UK, and that’s not just a plus for people in Wellington wanting to catch a train.”
The council has pledged as part of its Wellington Place Plan that it would “review potential for a park and ride scheme” near junction 26 of the M5, which could provide a vital link between the motorway, the railway station and the town centre.
A final decision on the housing proposals is expected to be taken by the end of the year.
Due to the size of the proposed development, the decision is likely to be taken in public by the council’s planning committee west, which makes decisions on major applications in the former Somerset West and Taunton area.