Town recovery improvement projects
Town Recovery and Welcome Back funding provided by Somerset West and Taunton Council, European Regional Development Fund and the Government has supported the following projects in Wiveliscombe.
- Umbrellas for those queuing outside town shops.
- Hanging baskets and flowers for town centre shops.
- Plants for the herb garden (behind Community Centre) and wild flowers and trees on the bank in Croft Way car park.
- A new town website – see: www.wiveliscombe.com
- Welcome to Wivey banners on lamp-posts.
- New benches in Jubilee Gardens and in the community herb garden (behind Community Centre).
- Contributions to Community Centre building works and to Wiveliscombe Christmas lights provided by the Jim Laker Fund.
- Place-making plan for The Square and Town Centre.
- 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.
The group has also enabled other projects, including:
- Grace period for on-street parking during Covid restrictions.
- Seeking improvements to town centre cleaning and weeding by SWT, which included jet washing of The Square in Autumn 2021.
- Fingerpost reinstatement (arrangements are progressing).
- Painting of Town Hall entrance (done by Wiveliscombe Area Partnership at the same time as the library).
Project funding awards have been overseen by a local steering group compromising Somerset West and Taunton district councillors (SWT) and representatives from 10 Parishes Business Group, Wiveliscombe Town Council (WTC) and Wiveliscombe Area Partnership, as below:
- Councillor Mark Blaker – Chair (SWT and WTC)
- Councillor Peter Berman (WTC)
- Councillor Jon Burgess (WTC)
- Heather Harvey (10 Parishes Business Group)
- Pauline Homeshaw (Wiveliscombe Area Partnership)
- Councillor Dave Mansell (SWT)
- Helen Whelan (local trader)
Further funding for town recovery projects has been provided by Somerset West and Taunton Council in 2022/23. This fund will be overseen by a local steering group with the following membership:
- Councillor Mark Blaker – Chair (SWT and WTC)
- Councillor Peter Berman (WTC)
- Heather Harvey (10 Parishes Business Group)
- Councillor Fodo Higginson (WTC)
- Pauline Homeshaw (Wiveliscombe Area Partnership)