PJA was appointed by St. Modwen Developments to provide all transport planning inputs relating to an outline application for a large mixed-use  town centre development in Taunton, Somerset.

The Firepool site, located on a former cattle market on the edge of Taunton town centre forms a key link between the town centre and Taunton Railway Station. The proposals included up to 200 new residential units, food and non-food retail, offices, a hotel, cinema and pub/restaurant uses and a 425 space car park.

The scheme was designed to take access from the Northern Inner Distribution Road, a government funded strategic road designed to relieve congestion in the town centre and to facilitate development.

The project required the preparation of a detailed Transport Assessment, utilising the strategic Taunton and Surrounding Area Road Traffic Model, the development of a bespoke Travel Plan, input into the Environmental Impact Assessment, the detailed design of vehicular access points and the design and testing of mitigation schemes.

PJA provided advise throughout the design development stage including the identification of opportunities to accommodate pedestrian and cycle access and through movement, considering principal desire lines and the role the site played in linking the town centre with the railway station.

The development proposals also posed challenges regarding servicing of a number of different uses (leisure, retail, commercial and residential). PJA liaised with the local highway authority as part of pre-application discussions and developed a servicing strategy including tracking drawings for delivery vehicles and a parking strategy including management and monitoring.

PJA worked closely with the highway and planning authority to secure a recommendation for approval and the application was subsequently granted planning consent in March 2018.