Vacant business park has interest from developers

A business park which has been empty for more than five years has received "serious interest" from developers.

The commercial site dubbed "Nexus 25", close to the M5 in Taunton, Somerset, is subject to a local development order, designed to streamline the planning process and allow the site to be developed quickly.

Somerset Council has confirmed it is at the early stages of negotiations with a potential tenant for one part of the site.

Councillor Norman Cavill said there was a "great opportunity" to build on Nexus 25 but declined to identify the business in question, citing commercial sensitivity.

The site was made accessible by the council in 2021 as part of a £19.2m upgrade of junction 25, with a new roundabout being built near the Gateway park and ride site, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Since this upgrade, nothing has been built, while other employment zones in the local area – such as Westpark 26 in Wellington and the Gravity enterprise zone near Bridgwater – have continued to expand.

The Nexus 25 site is intended to be a 'green campus' in line with the Taunton garden town vision.

It would aim to host a range of commercial premises for light industry, research and development, distribution warehouses and more general office space, along with the possibility of a hotel, medical centre and other local services.

Councillor Paul Hickson said the council considers the potential tenant to have a "serious interest" in the site.

"It's very early stages," he said. "During the year we've been very proactive at making sure that they know how to work with us and understand the locality well."

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