Wivey Square and Town Centre

Revised vision

Having considered and responded to the June 2022 consultation feedback, the project group has prepared a slightly revised version of the place-making vision for  Wiveliscombe town centre.

The main revisions are:

• An indent is shown for parking, including by delivery lorries, in The Square, so that more road width is allowed for vehicles passing through The Square.
• Detailed design stages that follow will need to ensure vehicle access to Jews Lane and driveways off West Street, and to the archways to Printers Mews and Lion House off High Street. Parking spaces and pavement build-outs will need to be carefully planned and positioned.
• The informal bus stopping point on the Co-op side of The Square should be moved to a stop at the town end of either North Street or High Street.
• One of the new trees in The Square has been repositioned slightly, as the fingerpost is to be replaced at original location.

The revised vision will now be presented to the town council and their approval sought so the project can move forward.

There are still many steps to progress before the vision or parts of it can be implemented.

A key issue will be funding. Sources could include infrastructure funding from the new Somerset Council or grants from government and, possibly, other bodies.

Permissions for the works will have to be secured too. It is hoped the new Somerset Council will be able to assist with applications to secure these, as well as with implementing and building vision proposals for which funding is secured.

The vision provides a guide for improving our town centre. However, adjustments may be required as work proceeds, so it should not be regarded as a precise blueprint.

Explaining the town centre vision

The final proposals in the vision report are built on the results from the earlier consultation. The steering group noted the biggest concerns raised and aimed to build on the options and features with the most support.

Most support was given for a one-way system in West Street and for a raised platform in The Square. However, there was also strong support for enhancing The Square and allowing some parking. Many people asked for loss of on-street parking to be avoided, while many also raised concern about current parking in The Square and the problems it causes. After some discussion, the steering group agreed it would be best to propose a design that allowed The Square to put people first, allow some parking to continue while designing out the worst of the current problems, and to allow large vehicles to continue to pass through, as there was no realistic alternative.

The full results from the January consultation can be viewed here.

The steering group hopes to have struck a good balance between differing views. The aim has been to present a vision that greatly improves The Square for local people and visitors, and to make it an even better focal point for our community.

A lot more work will be needed to realise this vision and some features proposed may need to be reconsidered as further work proceeds, but we hope our town centre will be improved and your support can help make it happen.

Please let us know what you think …

More town centre improvements

Recent projects completed in Wiveliscombe with support from the Town Recovery and Welcome Back Funds are:

• New town map and business signs in Croft Way and North Street car parks.
• Painting seats, lamp-posts and bike racks in The Square.
• New direction signs in Croft Way car park.
• Cleaning and removing graffiti off the bus shelter, traffic signs and roadside cabinets in Church Street, Taunton Road and Croft Way.
• CCTV and web-cam facility in The Square.

See projects for a full list.