Taunton Local Community Network Information
Here are a few updates and information from the Taunton LCN Team, if you should have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact the team – they are always happy to assist and help where they can.
Somerset Environmental and Ecological News
Welcome to April’s edition of SEEN – we hope you had a wonder-filled Easter enjoying the sights and sounds of spring springing into life.
April was exceptionally warm and lacking the usual April showers causing concern to many farmers and gardeners lacking the rain for their spring seed planting as well as wildlife.
To help reduce drought have you got a water butt to collect and store water for your garden? You can contact your water company to see if they have discounted ones or find one online. Look for ones made from recycled plastic and get a down pipe diverter.
Another good tip is to mulch your garden to keep the moisture in the soil with homemade, peat free compost. And to help wildlife, leave a small container of water for bees, birds and hedgehogs to drink from. See further links and tips in the content below.
Click on the image or the link below for more information :
Unprecedented CO₂ levels reached between 2023 and 2024
Somerset Food & Growing Forum co hosted by Spark and Somerset Community Food
A free forum for anyone in Somerset involved with initiatives that use food, growing and gardening to support positive change.
Food, growing and gardening projects are vital for the health and wellbeing of our communities, especially during times of economic hardship.
Whether you’re involved with a local allotment, community fridge or foodbank, therapeutic garden, cooking class or any other initiative which uses food, growing and gardening to support positive change, please come and join us for the chance to network and share peer support, learning and best practice.
Somerset Food & Growing Forum Tickets, Tue 20 May 2025 at 19:00 | Eventbrite
Priorswood Community Centre
Can you help? Priorswood Community Centre are running a project to raise awareness of knife crime during Knife Crime Awareness week which is the 18th to the 25th May and as part of the project they are holding a poster competition.
If you know of any young person that would like to get involved please forward the email on to their parent or carer, there will be prizes and goodie bags for the winners, posters will be displayed in the community centre and in our newsletter.
We would like as many people as possible to get involved and will shortly be sending out details of workshops and basic first aid training we will be holding in the community centre for parents, carers and Grandparents to understand the risks and implications of young people carrying a knife.
Please contact Lesley Councill, if you would like to get involved in any way – lesleycouncill@priorswoodcommunitycentre.co.uk
North Taunton Partnership
Priorswood Community Centre
13-14 Priorswood Place, Eastwick Road, Taunton, TA2 7JW ¦ 01823 353643
http://www.priorswoodcommunitycentre.co.uk/
Works on Highways – reminders and updates
Wales and West Gas Mains Replacement – Bishops Hull, Mountway Road, A3065 Silk Mills
Projects taking place on local highways
Wales and West Gas Mains Replacement – Bishops Hull, Mountway Road, A3065 Silk Mills
Wales and West Utilities are due to commence several schemes this year in the Taunton area, this is part of a 1.8km pipe upgrade programme, investing £358k to upgrade current metal pipes to long lasting plastic pipes. The works commence in Bishops Hull and then move onto the A3065 Silk Mills Road in June and the works will be carried out in phases – please find information attached.
Somerset Council confirms public drop-in dates for Junction 26 and Chelston link road project
Come and meet the team working on J26 and Chelston revamp
People can find out more about a major Government-funded Somerset Council project next month which will see a deteriorating 51-year-old concrete road and motorway junction completely renewed.
The Council’s contractor Heidelberg Materials is refurbishing Junction 26 of the M5 along with the A38 Chelston link road near Wellington, built in 1974. Work starts on 16 June and is expected to finish in late September.
Public drop-in events are taking place in West Buckland and Wellington where people can meet the team and ask questions.
These events are:
- 4pm to 7pm on Wednesday 14 May at West Buckland Village Hall TA21 9NA
- 3.30pm to 7pm on Thursday 15 May at Wellington Football Club TA21 8LY
- 3.30pm to 7pm on Wednesday 21 May at Wellington Football Club TA21 8LY
The contractor will use an innovative technique known as rubblization to completely break up the existing concrete road surface using heavy machinery. Instead of removing 7,300 tonnes of concrete from site, the materials will be retained and recycled as sub-base for the new road.
This modern recycling method, often used on airport runways, will save 200 tonnes in carbon and around 1,130 lorry movements, compared to traditional road construction methods. This is achieved by removing the need to export waste material and quarry and import new stone.
This is better for the environment, but it also means the work will be completed faster, minimising disruption as much as possible.
Due to the depth of excavations required around the Junction 26 roundabout, the project will require a complete closure of Junction 26 and the A38 link road (from J26 to Foxmoor Business Park) for around 14 weeks from 15 June to mid to late September. Access will be maintained to Foxmoor Business Park from the Chelston roundabout.
The window and timescale for the work has been agreed with National Highways and is dictated by forthcoming M5 works, alongside the need to allow National Highways to access its gritting depot off the Chelston Link Road during winter.
There is an FAQs section and further details on the project here: Major refurbishment of Junction 26 and Chelston Link road
Council Meetings PUBLIC
Somerset Council meetings calendar: meetings calendar and agendas can be seen here.
Somerset Council Consultations PUBLIC
Have your say – this site shows opportunities to get involved and have your say on things that matter to you. All active public consultations can be seen on the Citizen Space consultation page
