Can development in the Town
Centre and elsewhere occur in the meantime?
If development occurred as planned, but without any further flood mitigation works, how would communities downstream be impacted, particularly on the
Levels and Moors?
What options have been looked at to reduce flood risk to
Taunton?
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers Questions
If we do nothing, what will the impact be on the planned growth of Taunton and Town Centre developments, now and into the future?
How has account been made for climate change in modelling the impacts and benefits of the options?
The flood risk will increase significantly and both planned growth and existing communities will be severely affected.
Climate change has been taken into account and is estimated for different epochs (2026,
2066 and 2106)
The predicted climate change effects have been prepared using guidance taken from the
Environment Agency publication 'Adapting to
Climate Change: Advice for Flood and coastal
Erosion Risk Management Authorities'
(Environment Agency, 2011) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/syste m/uploads/attachment_data/file/297379/geho0
711btzu-e-e.pdf
.
The effect of climate change is to increase the size of the flood flows and the volume of floodwater generated in the River Tone catchment. Estimates of the gradual increase in flows due to climate change has been estimated for the years 2026, 2066 and 2106.
Proposed development, as described by
Taunton Rethink can be implemented provided appropriate mitigation measures are included and commitment is made to the provision of strategic solutions to address climate change effects.
The planned development will not adversely affect the Levels and Moors. The biggest factor is flood storage volumes and commitment has been made to provide additional flood storage compensation to address land raising in the town centre and surface runoff from the Core strategy sites.
Six options have been considered. They are:
- Large storage area at Bradford on Tone
- Medium storage area at Bradford on Tone
- Storage area on Sherford stream
- Improved flood defences
- Improved flood defences in combination with
- Improved channel conveyance

What benefits will these options have for existing and planned development, now and in the future?
All the options reduce the number of properties that would be affected in the future as a consequence of climate change. The priority option with the most potential benefit is the large storage area.
What does the proposed superpond look like and how will it work?
The large storage area or superpond is simply a long embankment and control structure at
Bradford on Tone. For the majority of the time it is not a ‘pond’, but the land could be maintained for agriculture or as an alternative used as an opportunity to create new ecological habitat.