Construction of Taunton transport hub could begin by January 2026
The long-awaited construction of a new transport hub in Taunton town centre could finally begin by January 2026, Somerset Council has confirmed.
The council has received £2.7m from the Department for Transport (DfT) to replace the redundant Tower Street facility (which closed in March 2020) with a new transport hub for buses and coaches, as part of its multi-year bus service improvement plan (BSIP).
The council held an initial consultation in the summer of 2024, with further views being sought from Taunton town council in June 2025 about how some of the buildings within the site could be re-purposed for community uses.
Tender documents published online have now laid out the full scope of the project, with Somerset Council confirming that work to deliver the new hub will begin within the next six months.
Under the current proposals, the new hub will include six bus stops, each with their own shelter, which are ‘drive in, drive out’ stops – meaning buses will not have to reverse out onto Tower Street after they have picked up passengers.
Two coach stops will also be provided along Castle Way (near the Mecca Bingo), providing an interchange for passengers between the local bus network and the nationwide coach journeys.
There will be five layover bays, where local buses can be parked when not in active service to prevent them clogging up the town centre.
The new hub will have real-time information boards for passengers, an indoor waiting room with toilets, and a changing places toilet facility with a dedicated accessible parking bay.
Outside the building will be a pedestrianised area with outdoor seating and planting, with bicycle parking and new pedestrian crossings to link the site with Goodlands Gardens and other existing active travel routes.
The tender documents (published on central government websites) said: “This project, to reinstall the bus station in Taunton as a transport hub, falls under part of Somerset Council’s BSIP program to improve bus services in the region.
“The most important function of the transport hub will be to provide solutions to the mobility needs of its users.
“However, there are a wide variety of functions that the council will seek to introduce to the hub to create positive benefits in the wider area and to future-proof the site for population growth.”
The town council may take on on one or both of the former bus station buildings (at no additional purchase cost to local taxpayers) and would like feedback on how the buildings should be used going forward.
NHS Somerset used the bus station as a vaccination centre during the coronavirus pandemic, relocating its temporary vaccination centre from within the Firepool site in March 2022.
Any specific improvements to the waiting room and associated buildings will be funded through external grants and contributions from housing developers in the first instance, rather than a drastic rise in the town council’s share of council tax bills.
The tender documents specify that the successful contract will last for up to six months from November 2025.
The council has said, however, that a December or January start is more likely, with additional time being allowed for negotiations with the successful bidder.
A spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the tender pack does represent what we want for the site.
“A start on site is likely to be in December or January, depending on how long contract negotiations and key decisions take, and that the procurement process is a success, of course.”