Somerset County Council Taunton Maintenance Failures

31/05/2026

There are severe environmental breaches here given that it is waste near a water source.
The presence of dumped materials at the boulevard walkway is a serious concern.
As the landowner, the council is “knowingly permitting” the deposit of controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 where it is aware of the issue and fails to take reasonable steps to address it.
In this case, the waste has been present for over a year, making it difficult to conclude that the situation is either unknown or being addressed within a reasonable timeframe.
The prolonged presence of this material raises concerns that appropriate action has not been taken. Given the proximity to a water source and the accumulation of combustible materials (including pallet stacks), there is potential for environmental harm and increased fire risk.

Mike Rigby Somerset Council Federica Smith-Roberts Gideon Amos - MP for Taunton & Wellington Taunton, Somerset BBC Sky News The Guardian The Mirror The Times and The Sunday Times UK Prime Minister

29/05/2026

Mike Rigby Somerset Council Taunton, Somerset Liberal Democrats Gideon Amos - MP for Taunton & Wellington
The cost of 5 Million pounds beggars belief for a pathway leading from Taunton station to the river, but the fact that it's been left in such a state is appalling. The planting just recently planted is overgrown and one section of the steps leading down from the station is sectioned off and the site adjacent with clear violations of Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Section 33 – makes it an offence to deposit, treat or dispose of waste without a permit (this is what fly-tipping falls under).
Section 34 (Duty of Care) – anyone handling waste (including contractors) must ensure it’s stored, transported, and disposed of properly.

To put it into context compare the The Cascade at Chatsworth House which is due a substantial repair and is more than 325 years old and has been suffering from long-term water infiltration. Water has been leaking through the mortar joints and stonework for decades, saturating the ground beneath and damaging a 19th-century coal tunnel that runs underneath the feature. The deterioration became serious enough that the water was switched off in early 2024 to prevent further damage.
Chatsworth is Grade 1
What makes the repair work so large-scale is that the entire structure effectively has to be dismantled and rebuilt in place. Chatsworth’s own conservation team has said the stones on the 23-step cascade are being lifted “stone by stone,” then re-waterproofed and reset onto a strengthened base while preserving the original appearance.

The restoration includes:
rebuilding and stabilising the saturated subsoil, repairing the historic tunnel underneath, restoring or replacing hydraulic valves and water-control mechanisms, reusing original stone wherever possible, quarrying replacement stone from the same local source historically used by the estate.
Chatsworth
Financially, it’s also substantial. The full project is estimated at roughly £7.5 million, but in comparison to the boulevard path in Taunton you can see where the 7.5 million will be sent but can anyone say why the Boulevard in Taunton cost £5 million.

Yes it may have been a grant but it still tax payers money, so indirectly the residents of Taunton still paid for it.

https://www.facebook.com/chatsworthhouse/videos/936285185203505/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

28/05/2026

It’s hard to know what’s more staggering—the scale of neglect or the scale of the waste.

A £5 million boardwalk, presumably designed to be a point of pride, a community asset, something that signals investment and care. And what has it become? A dumping ground. Not the odd bit of litter or the occasional discarded item—but fly-tipping on an industrial scale. There’s no softer way to describe it. This isn’t carelessness; it’s sustained, visible disregard. The kind that doesn’t happen overnight and certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.

Where is the oversight? Where is the accountability? A project of that value doesn’t just quietly deteriorate without someone, somewhere, choosing not to act. Whether it’s underfunded maintenance, poor planning, or sheer apathy, the result is the same: a public space reduced to a symbol of neglect.

Now compare that to Chatsworth House, where the water feature alone is facing an estimated £7 million in repairs. Seven million—to restore and preserve something of historic and cultural significance. There, the conversation is about restoration, stewardship, and long-term value. Here, we can’t even protect a brand-new £5 million investment from becoming a landfill.

It raises an uncomfortable question: do we value what we build, or are we content to let it decay the moment the ribbon is cut?

Because right now, the message is clear. We’re willing to spend millions creating something—but not nearly enough ensuring it survives. And that’s not just inefficient. It’s indefensible.

Mike Rigby Somerset Council Love Taunton - Discover Taunton Taunton, Somerset Liberal Democrats Federica Smith-Roberts

25/05/2026

Is it fair for residents and visitors to put up with this site. Yes we understand the project manager was/is in hospital (we hope for their speedy recovery) but surely the contractors and council should have a sign off process before it was hailed as completed.

This is no different to fly tipping on a council signed off industrial scale. 10,000's of pounds of stone and associated pallets of supplies left to the elements.

School holidays are just around the corner it's an accident waiting to happen with the rotting pallets and tonnes of paving.

There is the bigger issue here of the mounds of waste so close to the waterside, an ecological risk assessment is needed at this site.

24/05/2026

It wouldn’t take much to completely change the feel of this place.

Just a couple of pallet bags of wildflower meadow seeds could turn this dumping ground into something genuinely special — a space full of colour, life, and movement. It would support bees, butterflies, and other wildlife, while also creating a far more welcoming environment for people.

Most importantly, it would give something back to the residents of Taunton — a simple, natural improvement that benefits everyone.

Mike Rigby Somerset Council Love Taunton - Discover Taunton Taunton, Somerset Liberal Democrats Federica Smith-Roberts

18/05/2026

18/05/2026

Has there been progress? Hard to tell as there is so much still dumped here.

Some rather expensive pallets of materials have disappeared?

Somerset Tax Action Group Somerset Council Mike Rigby Love Taunton - Discover Taunton Taunton, Somerset Liberal Democrats

11/05/2026

Boulevard - 5 million spent and still the bins are continuously full of crap and not emptied.