Cash-strapped council halts sale of car park

Plans to sell a 270-space high street car park are to be reversed after more than 1,800 people signed a petition against its closure.

Somerset Council wanted to sell off the High Street Car Park in the centre of Taunton to help raise money with its financial emergency.

Campaigners and Taunton Town Council were concerned that it would impact shops and accessibility especially in the evenings.

Councillor Mike Rigby, from Somerset Council, said: "The message we've heard loud and clear is that the impacts of the sale of the High Street car park are such that we need to reconsider and that's what we have done."

He continued: "This Council has to be sustainable in these extremely tough financial times, but we also have to listen."

The petition was started by the Creative Innovation Centre in Taunton last October.

They argued that the closure and demolition of the car park would impact social clubs, faith organisations and Taunton's night-time economy.

Somerset Council remains in a financial emergency and the authority is selling off a number of its assets in an effort to use the revenue to run essential services.

Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington, said it was "good to hear" councillors listening and acting "on what people in Taunton want".

"I'm delighted that Mike Rigby and other Lib Dem councillors have worked so closely with me and our town councillors to reconsider this sale and safeguard one of the very few night time town centre car parks we have," he said.

"I made clear its value to local community groups and businesses in the area.

"Put simply, people don't want to see car parking in our town centre reduced. Let's keep working together to bring more investment and success to our town."

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