Bruton’s Town Plan was published in June 2017. One year later a lot has been done, but there’s a lot still to do. The table below shows what the Plan said should be done, what’s happened in the past year, and what the next steps are.
| What the Plan said we’d do | What’s happened this year | Next steps |
| How the Town Looks | ||
| Do all that we can to influence South Somerset District Council’s review of its local plan | We’ve responded to the consultation. Our feedback has been included in the latest version of the plan. | See the next action. |
| If this does not give enough local control we will also go on and develop our own neighbourhood plan. | Because of changes in South Somerset District Council we are no longer confident that the Local Plan will give sufficient control over development. | The Town Council will consider leading the development of a neighbourhood plan for Bruton. |
| We will do what we can to provide suitable business accommodation in the town. | Bruton Chamber of Commerce have been working with local businesses. Somerset County Council are considering setting up an Enterprise Centre on a site to the west of the Frome Road. | Bruton Chamber of Commerce are leading. |
| We will identify and try and work with landowners to ensure that their decisions about developing land reflect residents’ views. | We have identified all local landowners and are currently working with the owner of the site to the south of Brewham Road. We have also had discussions with the owner of the site to the SE of Cole Road. | No further action planned at present. |
| We will consider raising funds to purchase land to protect it. | The Town Council is in discussions with the County Council about leasing the so-called County Fields west of Frome Road, and with Kings School about leasing the Fishponds fields. | Discussions to continue. |
| Getting around | ||
| We will commission a series of studies to: | ||
| …re-design the Library Junction | Detailed proposals for the re-design of the junction have been produced, consulted and agreed by the Town Council. | Somerset County Council will consider whether they support the proposals. |
| …redress the balance between the needs of pedestrians, people wishing to park and traffic passing through in the High Street | Nothing (to be considered in future years). It now looks less likely than it did that the County Council will have funds to support future local traffic schemes like this. | Town Council to decide whether and when to commission a study. |
| …develop proposals for a wider network of safe and easy walking routes to the town centre. | Nothing (to be considered in future years). It now looks less likely than it did that the County Council will have funds to support future local traffic schemes like this. | Town Council to decide on next steps, which are likely to include looking for alternative sources of funding. |
| Develop and adopt a transport policy to limit through traffic in the town and restrict heavy goods vehicles to that which is unavoidable. | The Town Council has decided that the Town Plan itself gives sufficient direction and there is therefore no need for a policy. We are working with local haulage operators and looking at best practice elsewhere to develop proposals to control HGV traffic. | Once we have completed our work with local haulage operators we will meet with Police and Somerset Highways to develop detailed proposals. |
| Do everything we can to support disabled access to the Westbound platform at Bruton Station. | We have strongly supported this, but currently Network Rail consider that the proposals that they have developed are too expensive. | Further discussion with Network Rail. |
| Work with partners to develop an all-weather surface walking route connecting Hauser and Wirth with the town centre. | Hauser and Wirth have agreed to fund most of the construction costs, and quotes for the work have been obtained. The Town Council is in discussion with Kings School about leasing the Fishponds Field, so that the path can be constructed. | Agreement with Kings School about leasing the field to the Town Council. The path can then be built. |
| Work with the County Council and District Council to create more short-stay parking in the town centre. | Discussions are taking place about the renewal of the Station Road car park lease for sufficiently long for the car park to be properly surfaced. | Reach agreement with the Station Road car park owner about a new lease. Consider introducing eight one-hour parking places at the eastern end of the High Street. |
| Leisure and Places to go | ||
| Continue the Jubilee Park Development Programme | The Multi-use Games Area has been constructed and opened. Plans for an improved skate park are being developed. | Continue to plan for an improved skate park. |
| Look for an opportunity to either redevelop an existing hall or build a new hall [to become a permanent community hall for the town]. | The Town Council has been discussing the future of the Unionist Hall with the Club and has taken legal and surveyors advice about the building. | A National Lottery grant will be sought to pay for a major community consultation exercise to agree how the Hall and its site might work as a Community Hall for the town. A charity will be set up to take over the running of the hall. The Unionist Club will make a final decision about whether or not to transfer its freehold. |
| Start a new ‘Friends of the River Brue’ group to enhance the river and riverside as an amenity for the town, and to seek to extend the Riverside Walk to the east. | BrueCREW has been established as a charitable organisation and is using a donation from Hauser and Wirth’s fundraising to enhance the Riverside Walk. | For BrueCREW to decide. |
| Start a community group to oversee and promote Bruton’s footpath network. | The Town Council has granted £2,000 to Bruton Community Partnership to set up a community group. The new group has just had its first meeting. | For the new community group to decide. |
| Living and Working in Bruton | ||
| Work with local businesses to develop a strategy for the Town’s Promotion. | A simple strategy has been agreed. | No further work planned at present. |
| Consider whether creating a ‘parish ranger’ post will assist in keeping the town tidy and looking good. | The Town Council is using its various existing contracts to carry out minor remedial work in the town but is not planning to recruit to a parish ranger post at present. | No further work planned at present. |
| Develop a local information centre that meets the needs of tourists as well as residents. | The Community Office is now open on Friday mornings all year, and on Saturday mornings in the summer months. Bruton Community Partnership are planning an information screen for the Community Office window. | For further discussion once the future use of the Unionist Club Hall has been decided. |
| Ensure that the Community Toilets Scheme is well-publicised on maps, leaflets and on the ground. | The toilets are on the Step-into-Bruton leaflet and signed at the end of the High Street. | Details of the scheme should be included in the Town website. |
| Replace the Welcome to Bruton signs | No action. The Town Council does not currently see this as a priority for expenditure. | No further work planned at present. |
