MP Gideon Amos and Taunton Town Councillor Amber Packer-Hughes

Progress on former Debenhams site in Taunton after MP meeting

Paul JonesMarch 17, 20250 Comment0

OPTIONS for the former Debenhams building in the centre of Taunton were discussed at a meeting in the House of Commons.

MP Gideon Amos (Lib Dem, Taunton & Wellington) arranged a meeting with the owner of the landmark property – which has lain empty since the store closed in 2021.

He met with representatives of Ropemaker Properties, which previously withdrew plans for a residential and commercial scheme on the North Street site.

After the meeting, Mr Amos said: “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.”

Debenhams in Taunton closed in 2021. Picture: Google

He said the owners agreed to a “programme of actions”, including engaging with other bodies and encouraging temporary uses of the ssite, as new development proposals are put together.

“There was a consensus in the meeting that, given the previous planning application was withdrawn, there’s now a need to bring new plans to an early conclusion,” Mr Amos added.

Community ideas for the site have long been vaunted, including the potential creation of an indoor market, as well as pop-up shops for independent traders. However, after the withdrawal of the previous development plan, the site has continued to lie empty.

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.”