Breakthrough on store site

A top-level meeting – arranged by Taunton’s MP Gideon Amos – was held in the House of Commons with the owners of the former Debenhams store in North Street with the aim of bringing the site back into use.

Mr Amos said afterwards: “It felt like a breakthrough to be meeting face-to-face with representatives from Ropemaker Properties as the owners of this key building to our town centre – the first time since Debenhams closed in 2021 that local stakeholders have met with the building's owners.

“I made clear how important it is to see this building brought back into use, at least with temporary uses if the final scheme will take longer to agree and I'm pleased they agreed to explore this.

“New businesses are moving into our town centre and occupancy levels of shops have increased so I'm determined now to do everything I can to help bring life back to the former Debenhams.

“As a new MP, it was great to have colleagues from our town council with me, along with Somerset councillors.

“We're showing Taunton is open for business when it comes to injecting more life into our town centre and into the former Debenhams in particular.

“We agreed a programme of actions, including engaging with other public bodies and encouraging temporary uses, as the owners move towards their final proposals for the site.

“There was a consensus in the meeting that, given the previous planning application was withdrawn, there's now a need to bring new plans to an early conclusion."

A spokesperson for Ropemaker Properties said: “We are grateful to Mr Amos for arranging this meeting.

“The former Debenhams store on North Street has been vacant for too long, and we look forward to working with Mr Amos, Somerset Council and Taunton Town Council to find a commercially viable future for this prominent town centre site.”