How Somerset’s newest railway station could drive the regeneration …

The delivery of Somerset’s newest railway station could drive the regeneration of an historic employment site at the northern edge of the town. Wellington ^[1] has been without a direct rail link since 1964, when its existing railway station closed as part of the notorious Beeching cuts.

The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed in early-October that a new £15m station for the town, located off Nynehead Road, would be “funded to delivery”^[2] following prime minister Rishi Sunak MP’s decision to cancel the High Speed 2 ^[3] rail project north of Birmingham. Somerset Council ^[4] has now revealed that an existing footpath between the station site and the historic Tonedale Mill could be enhanced as part of the station’s construction – and that this enhancement could help to unlock further regeneration in the Tonedale area.

The Tonedale Mill site (which is currently in private ownership) lies at the northern edge of Wellington, just off the B3187 Milverton Road and a short distance from the Bristol to Exeter mainline. The site is surrounded by the Fox’s Field community space ^[5], which includes a children’s play area and will be gradually regenerated by the Wellington Mills community interest company (WMCIC) to provide a new community forest garden for Wellington residents.

It is currently possible to reach the new railway station site by following the existing footpaths from Fox’s Field, which cross Burchills Hill and the B3187, running past the town’s waste water treatment plant and tracing the footpath of the former Great Western Canal, which closed in 1867. This footpath intersects with two other public rights of way emanating from the Longforth Farm housing development ^[8] to the south – providing an alternative to driving to the station along Lillebonne Way and Taunton ^[9] Road.

The wooded section of the footpath – which eventually leads to the Nynehead boat lift – skirts within a few hundred yards of where the northbound platform of the new station will be constructed by Network Rail ^[10]. The footpath is currently quite narrow in places, with much of the terrain being muddy in the winter months and the woodland sections being overgrown with tree roots.

But Somerset Council has confirmed it is exploring ways to improve access to the station site from the north as part of a wider effort to deliver the station and regenerate the Tonedale area. A spokesperson said: “The link between the delivery of the new railway station in Wellington and regeneration works at Tonedale Mill and the council-owned Tone Works ^[11] is already well established.

“The development of the station and the regeneration of Tonedale Mill and Tone Works are seen by the council and all parties involved as intrinsically linked. This is about working towards the mutual benefit of both projects, and importantly the town as a whole.

“These aspirations are reflected in the Wellington Place Plan (which was adopted in March)^[12], which identified the preferred area of growth in north Tonedale; the strategic outline business case for the station, and bids for pots of funding for Tonedale Mill and Tone Works ^[13], including the levelling up fund. We can’t at this stage be specific about routes, but can confirm that discussions continue around public rights of way in and around the station and links to north Tonedale, the town centre, as well as in and around the town.”

Footpath leading from the B3187 Milverton Road to the proposed Wellington railway station (Image: Daniel Mumby)

“There are also confidential ongoing conversations about developer contributions.” The main road to the new station will be created by extending the existing access road to the town’s Lidl supermarket off Nynehead Road ^[14].

This will be delivered as part of a planned development of 220 homes ^[15] by West of England Developments (Taunton) Ltd., which will also deliver a care home, commercial space, car parking near the southbound platform and a new park with walking and cycling routes to the Cades Farm housing estate and the town centre. The council is expected to make a decision on these plans by the end of the year ^[16], to enable the station to open to passenger services by September 2025.

The legal agreements for this new development (known as a Section 106 agreement) could include financial contributions for improved pedestrian links to the north of the station, to reduce car journeys to and from the station. The Tonedale Mill and Tone Works site formed the basis of two bids to the government’s levelling up fund, which would have seen nearly £20m invested to “breathe new life into the town by stabilising and securing these treasured assets, and enabling the development of an exciting mix of new cultural, community and commercial uses, alongside a unique and desirable residential opportunity.”

Proposed development of 220 homes, care home and employment site – including access to the new Wellington railway station (Image: West of England Developments (Taunton) Ltd.)

The bid would have ultimately resulted in nearly 7,500 sq m of new commercial floorspace being made available to Wellington residents, as well as 168 new homes being delivered near the site. Despite being praised by government officials ^[17], the bid was one of three bids from Somerset which failed to attract support ^[18] from the second round of the levelling up fund, whose results were announced in January.

Communities secretary Michael Gove MP confirmed on October 16 that there would be a third and final round of the levelling up fund, with details being released by the end of November – including the time-scale for bids. Speaking in the House of Commons, he said: “We will make sure that levelling-up fund round three is brought forward just in advance of the autumn statement [on November 22].”

References

^{^} Wellington (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} confirmed in early-October that a new £15m station for the town, located off Nynehead Road, would be “funded to delivery” (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} High Speed 2 (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} Somerset Council (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} the Fox’s Field community space (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} Hundreds of new homes planned for small Somerset village near Wellington (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} Taunton residents face further wait over fate of more than 1,400 new homes (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} the Longforth Farm housing development (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} Taunton (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} Network Rail (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} the council-owned Tone Works (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} the Wellington Place Plan (which was adopted in March) (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} bids for pots of funding for Tonedale Mill and Tone Works (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} the existing access road to the town’s Lidl supermarket off Nynehead Road (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} a planned development of 220 homes (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} expected to make a decision on these plans by the end of the year (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} Despite being praised by government officials (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
^{^} one of three bids from Somerset which failed to attract support (www.somersetlive.co.uk)