The £510,000 transport hub initially planned for Somerton will now be built in Langport due to site restrictions.
The project is part of a bus service improvement plan. This plan includes creating transport hubs across Somerset. These hubs aim to link buses with other transport options.
Taunton’s old bus station will reopen as a hub. This should happen by summer 2025. In June 2024, they announced a smaller hub for Somerton. The £510,000 hub is now going to Langport. The council’s Somerton site had delivery issues.
Julia Gadd mentioned this at a meeting. She chairs Huish Episcopi Parish Council. The meeting discussed merging two parish councils. These councils are Huish Episcopi and Langport. She said the merger is important now. She noted immediate issues in their combined area.
Gadd stated they need 100 more parking spaces. Their area will become Somerset’s first rural transport hub. She also mentioned two new active travel routes. Langport is along the River Parrett Trail. The trail follows the river from Dorset to the Bristol Channel.
More walking and cycling routes are in progress nearby. A link to Curry Rivel should start by spring. Aller Parish Council works to provide a car-free town link. Somerset confirmed the Somerton hub plan failed. Restrictions around Somerton’s conservation area caused this.
The council stated Somerton was always their intention. Various factors made the Somerton option unworkable. The Market Cross area is in a conservation area. It is near a scheduled monument. These factors restricted building. Limited funding also reduced design options. Other Somerton locations were unsuitable.
They decided to explore Langport instead. Langport has a good strategic location. It is on key travel and tourist routes. Langport is four miles from the original site. The digital demand responsive transport trial includes Langport. This scheme seems popular.