Posted 17 November 2016 by
Keith Osborne‘Project Taunton’ is well under way, as a number of large and small housebuilders are currently active building a huge number of brand new homes to meet the target set in the last decade to help the Somerset town fulfil its potential.
The project was set up by Somerset County Council in order to make Taunton a strategically important commercial centre for the south-west, using its location close to the M5 and the border with Devon as a draw for businesses, thereby creating employment and the need for many new homes to accommodate the growing workforce.
Taunton Deane Borough Council’s Core Strategy 2011-2028 says 17,000 new homes would be needed in that period, with a quarter of them ‘affordable’, aimed at those unable to buy a suitable property on the open market. A number of areas were named as the focal point for housebuilding, Firepool in the centre, Priorswood/Nerrols in the north and Monkton Heathfield to the east being those in Taunton itself where new or regenerated communities would take shape. An extension to the south-west of the town is also proposed.
Around 30 minutes from Exeter and an hour from the centre of Bristol on the road, Taunton is within easy reach of these two other major cities in the South West, making it a good base for those not working in the town itself. With a fine range of schools, colleges and amenities, and on the doorstep of two designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (the Quantock Hills and Blackdown Hills), there’s a ‘best-of-both-worlds’ feel to Taunton.
The town is also well placed on Britain’s rail network, with routes to Bristol, Exeter and the rest of Devon/Cornwall and, via Reading, direct to London Paddington.
New homes currently for sale in Taunton:
Acorn Property Group has a range of two-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom townhouses at Water’s Edge in the Firepool district, just a few minutes from the shopping streets and station, and right by the River Tone and canal, with waterside views. Prices for homes at Water’s Edge start in the region of £190,000 for apartments and £350,000 for the last remaining townhouse. Help to Buy is also available.
Close by is Firepool Lock, a Crest Nicholson development of apartments, houses and waterfront villas overlooking the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. With something for everyone, from one- to four-bedrooms in size and starting from £129,600 (Help to Buy up-front price, £159,000 at full price). The show home is open from 10.00am to 5.00pm seven days a week.
To the north-west of the town, in the village of Norton Fitzwarren, David Wilson Homes is marketing Langford Mead, with a number of four-bedroom homes priced from £279,000. Help to Buy and Part Exchange are available here, just ten minutes from the station and the heart of Taunton itself.
There are similar initiatives available at Otters Reach, the neighbouring Barratt Homes development in the village, where a range of two- to four-bedroom properties are cuurently for sale, including apartments, and semi-detached and terraced houses. Prices start at £130,495.
Redrow’s The Heathfields development in Monkton Heathfield, three miles from the town centre, has more recently seen a new phase released, called Deer Park at The Heathfields, offering a different range of homes for purchasers to consider. While the main scheme has properties starting at £179,995, with a range of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, the smaller enclave has four-bedroom family homes for sale from £270,995. Help to Buy, Mastermove and Part Exchange across the range.
Persimmon’s Heathfield Gardens has properties starting from £160,995, with an impressive range available, from one- and two-bedroom coach houses, via a range of semi-detached houses and townhouses to four- and five-bedroom detached homes. The standard specification can be enhanced with Persimmon’s Finishing Touches range of upgrades and choices, for buyers purchasing early in the building process. A range of assistance initiatives are available to buyers.
Also in Monkton Heathfield, Charles Church Developments is building Pavilion Gardens, with a selection of three-, four- and five-bedroom homes from £279, 995. The company is opening a show house at the development this Saturday. Help to Buy and Part Exchange are both available on this scheme, which is likely to find a strong interest from family buyers thanks to its location within the catchment area for Heathfield Community School, with its Ofsted rating of 'outstanding'.
Strongvox is a Taunton-based housebuilder constructing a collection of three- and four-bedroom homes, Manor Lawns, in North Curry, a village around seven miles east of Taunton that combines a rural setting with proximity to town and motorway. At this early stage, the company, which won a prize in the Best Small Housebuilder category in 2010 at the WhatHouse? Awards, is welcoming registrations for interest in these new properties, which are bound to attract a wide array of buyers.
Local housebuilder Arc Homes is building a diverse development of from one- to five-bedroom homes at King’s Square, just 15 minutes’ walk from the town centre. The design of the scheme is centred on a landscaped square for residents’ use, with gated access to the community for security and privacy. Priced from £275,000, these homes are available with Help to Buy and the housebuilder’s own Move Maker scheme.