Taunton Independent Quarter

Taunton Independent Quarter Celebrating the independent businesses in St James Street, Riverside Place, The Courtyard & middle st in Taunton, Somerset.

Sharing positive and uplifting news from Taunton Town centre

buymeacoffee.com/Susiethomasg

Party at Hub Box Taunton 🪩 🕺🏻 💃🏽
15/08/2026

Party at Hub Box Taunton 🪩 🕺🏻 💃🏽

15/08/2026

Hub Box Taunton bringing the party to Taunton this Saturday night! 🪩 🕺🏻 🎶 DJ Lone Selecta is bringing amazing energy with old school classics as part of the Summer sessions!

I’ll be buying a few tickets today!!! Good luck everyone! What a great prize!! And a great cause!!!!
15/08/2026

I’ll be buying a few tickets today!!! Good luck everyone! What a great prize!! And a great cause!!!!

It’s days like today that I wish I was a seagull 😆🥵☀️☀️☀️☀️🔥
13/08/2026

It’s days like today that I wish I was a seagull 😆🥵☀️☀️☀️☀️🔥

12/08/2026

Dates for our Autumn events are out. To book either email: [email protected] or call 01823288898

The Spin Collective is back!!!! 🚴🚴🚴🚴🏻‍♂️🚴🏻‍♂️🚴🏻‍♂️
12/08/2026

The Spin Collective is back!!!! 🚴🚴🚴🚴🏻‍♂️🚴🏻‍♂️🚴🏻‍♂️

Willow dragonflies for the garden! 😃 available at Nicky's Flower Studio in Foundry Road!
12/08/2026

Willow dragonflies for the garden! 😃 available at Nicky's Flower Studio in Foundry Road!

The Little Cheese Shop has reopened today (complete with newly painted bench to match the shop front) Visit Max for your...
11/08/2026

The Little Cheese Shop has reopened today (complete with newly painted bench to match the shop front)

Visit Max for your cheese fix!! Opening hours are :- Tuesday - Friday 9.30am - 4pm and Saturday 9am - 4pm 🧀🧀🧀

11/08/2026

If you ever wondered why Tare & Tide is called Tare & Tide…..watch this video that Tim has made to explain

It’s always great to talk to Simon Parkin on BBC Radio Somerset and it was great to get the chance to talk about the hig...
11/08/2026

It’s always great to talk to Simon Parkin on BBC Radio Somerset and it was great to get the chance to talk about the high streets and shopping local this morning.

The chat was triggered by the news this morning that Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a major high street reform package to give local councils and communities new powers to block unwanted shops and shut down rogue operators.

The key new measures are :-

1. PLANNING RULES FOR VAPES - every new e-cigarette and v**e shop in England must apply for formal planning permission.

2. CRACKDOWN ON BETTING SHOPS - scrapping a rule known as “aim to permit”, which currently restricts councils’ ability to refuse new betting shops and 24-hour slot machine shops. Planning permission required for new adult gaming centres, which offer 24-hour access to gambling.

3. LONGER CLOSURES FOR ROGUE SHOPS - for up to 12months if they are tied to illegal trading or organised crime. (Personally I think this one is a mistake as it just keeps a blot on the high street for longer…they should simply be shut down- end of)

4. COMMUNITY RIGHT TO BUY - local residents get new powers to take over boarded up shops, derelict pubs and community eyesores.

5. TIGHTENING DEFINITIONS- V**e shops cannot disguise themselves as a standard convenience store.

6. VISUAL IMPROVEMENTS- the government is introducing fresh design guidance to remove garish neon shop fronts and tidy up town centres!!!!!!!

I think these moves are really positive!! The way that certain areas in Taunton have changed over the last couple of years has been dramatic and worrying. I hope that these new measures will mean some hope that we can change them back and improve them.

As encouraging as the new announcements are there is ONE THING that the UK Government could do which would make the biggest difference to the high street - REDUCE BUSINESS RATES (or scrap them altogether)

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St James Street
Taunton
TA11JR

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