Plans to progress the proposed site of Somerset's latest railway station have received the green light from local councillors -- with a final verdict from central government still pending.
Cherwyn Developments was granted planning permission in May 2024 to construct 200 homes on Nynehead Road in Wellington, with the development set to provide access to the anticipated site of a £15m railway station intended to serve the town.
However, the future of the station is currently uncertain, as the Labour government initiated a review of significant transport projects just weeks after their general election victory in July 2024.
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In the months that followed, two additional proposals related to the station site were submitted to Somerset Council – one detailing the design of the main road that will connect the station and new homes to Nynehead Road, and another for the 'station square' which will welcome passengers upon their arrival in the town.
The council's planning committee west has now unanimously endorsed both plans, amidst intense lobbying by local MPs ahead of the government's spending review.
The main road will extend the existing access off Nynehead Road, near the town's Lidl supermarket, north-west to just short of the railway line, where land has been allocated for a new car park near the southbound platform of the new station.
A new pedestrian crossing will be installed along the existing section of road, and the new section will feature a dedicated pedestrian and cycle lane along its right hand side leading all the way to the new car park.
A new shared-use path for both cyclists and pedestrians will be established, stretching southward from the car park to the B3187 Taunton Road. This route will not only provide a key pedestrian connection to the town centre but also ensure safe passage for the residents of the nearby Cades Farm estate.
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This initiative is a central component of the council's recently unveiled Wellington local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP), which outlines and prioritises essential active travel enhancements required over the next decade.
The 'station square', positioned at the eastern end of the new station car park, is set to feature the original top of the Wellington Monument, which was replaced by the National Trust during the £3.1 million conservation of the landmark structure.
A new mobility hub next to this square will be developed to promote cycling and accommodate sufficient turning space for local bus services.
These proposals were presented to the council’s planning committee west, responsible for significant applications within the area formerly known as Somerset West and Taunton, during their meeting in Taunton this week.
Cherwyn Developments' managing director, Chris Winter, said: "We've got as good an active travel solution as possible to get from the station car park to Nynehead Road and Taunton Road.
"We are in discussions with Lidl about securing additional land to change the priority [at the junction with Nynehead Road], which is your highways' team preferred solution to the access point of the site.
"We are under extremely tight time-scales to start on site. If these plans are determined today, we will be instructing engineers tomorrow.
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"The whole point of this road going in early is so we're ready should the government decide to give the station to go-ahead."
Councillor Gwilym Wren, representing the Upper Tone division that borders Wellington to the north, raised concerns over what might happen if the Department for Transport (DfT) opts against proceeding with the new station.
He said "The developer is putting the road in, on the assumption, hope or whatever the right word is that the station will be built.
"Are there any implications for the application as a whole should the DfT or Network Rail decide they no longer wish to proceed with the station?"
In response, Simon Fox, the council's major projects officer, said: "There are no implications on this road if the station doesn't go ahead; it serves the remainder of the site, both the residential and commercial parcels.
"The land is not going to be reclaimed by the developer if this current station project is officially abandoned. The site will remain available should the project resurrect itself in five, ten or 15 years' time."
Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos has campaigned in support of the Wellington station plans, in conjunction with Honiton and Sidmouth MP Richard Foord, who is fighting for a companion station at Cullompton as part of the larger 'Devon Metro' ambitions.
Mr Winter assured that the 'station square' will be prepared in accordance with the development of the spine road, preventing the emergence of "pristine paving that's sat at the end of a road, decaying and deteriorating".
£305,000 has been allocated towards the initiation of the 'station square' plan, with the responsibility for managing and upholding the space being officially handed over to Wellington Town Council, at the end of its accomplishment.
The committee voted unanimously in favour of both plans.
A Section 106 covenant signed with the council requires Cherwyn Developments, to start work on the spine road on or before June 5 – a deadline the developer is currently requesting to delay through a separate planning application.
The terms of the same agreement also dictate that the work must conclude on or before April 1, 2026, and none of the homes are to be occupied until it is finished.
A decision regarding new stations for Wellington and Cullompton is expected from the government during its spending review period, which closes at the end of June.
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