I have launched a survey for constituents to gauge their opinions on the upgrade of the Taunton Rail Station.

Before I was elected, I worked with local representatives and the government, to secure a £4.6million investment for the station, creating a new and re-orientated station gateway and associated facilities. A memorandum of understanding has been signed by Network Rail and other key partners, including First Great Western, Somerset County Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council, indicating the strong commitment each partner has to delivering the scheme.

As a local resident myself and a long time user of Taunton Railway Station, I recognise the need for a re-development of the station and surrounding area to bring it up to the standard that our town deserves. The improvements will seek to provide upgraded passenger facilitates, increase the amount of parking and most importantly, reduce congestion. 

I am delighted that the Government has awarded £2.2m from the Local Growth Fund (2016/17) to help fund the work. This will go towards the overall £22.9m to be spent on the redevelopment, creating a new re-orientated station gateway and associated passenger facilities. 

With decisions starting to be made, I would value the opinion of the local community especially those who use the station’s facilities every day and those who live locally. To this end, I am carrying out a survey posing several questions to gauge views relating to the station. I will then share the response with the key stakeholders to help deliver the kind of station that will satisfy everyone.

During the summer of 2016 I launched a survey to listen to local people about what they wanted from the development. I had a fantastic result, with hundreds of people across Taunton Deane taking part in the survey and letting me know their views. You can see the results in the attachment below.