Block Management in Taunton
Deteriorating 1960s and 1970s river walls, and 1,031 properties at flood risk today.
Our block, estate and leasehold management service extends to Taunton, 74 miles from Plymouth, for RMCs, RTM companies and freeholders. Somerset Council puts 1,031 Taunton properties at flood risk on the River Tone, rising to 2,548 by 2118, and estimates the wall replacement at upwards of 50 million pounds. Converting a house into flats creates no new parking permits, and flats make up 22.2 per cent of households.
What We Would Put First for a Block in Taunton
Plan Around the River Tone Warning Areas
Three warning areas on the Tone cover Silk Mills Bridge to Bathpool, Clarence Street and Staplegrove Road, and Roughmoor Crescent to Firepool. For a block in those areas we would review flood cover at renewal and hold a reserve for reinstatement.
InsuranceExplain Parking Permits on Conversion Consents
A house converted into flats keeps its original permit allocation, first come first served, and new conversions inside a permit zone get no resident permits. We would set out that position when handling any lease consent for subdivision.
ConsentsCheck Basements and Undercrofts for Radon
28 of 29 squares near the centre are the lowest band, but the caveat for basements, cellars and underground spaces still applies. For a block with a plant room or undercroft we would recommend measurement in that space.
ComplianceSet Heating Plant Contracts for Soft Water
Taunton's mains water is soft at 49.7 milligrams per litre, so communal boilers and calorifiers do not carry a hard water scale burden. We would set heating plant maintenance contracts on that basis rather than budgeting for descaling.
Maintenance and repairsManaging a Block in Taunton at a Glance
- Local authority
- Somerset Council
- Authority type
- Unitary
- Building control
- Somerset Building Control, the council's own service covering the four former district areas
- County
- Somerset
- Fire and rescue service
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
- Water and sewerage
- Wessex Water
- From our Plymouth office
- Approx. 74 miles by road, an hour and a half or so
- Setting
- Inland
What It Costs to Move a Block in Taunton to Us
Management is a fixed annual fee, quoted for the building and agreed before we start. We take no commission and no third-party incentives, so the fee is the whole of what we earn from the building. Taking a block on carries a one-off start-up fee, set by size:
| Block size | Fee |
|---|---|
| Start-up fee, up to 10 units | £420.00 |
| Start-up fee, up to 25 units | £540.00 |
| Start-up fee, 50 units and above | £660.00 |
Taken from our published Additional Services price list, PBM Form #01-27 rev.6, effective 23 June 2025. All fees quoted are inclusive of VAT. See the full price list and how a handover works.
1,031 Properties at Risk Today, 2,548 by 2118
Fluvial, not tidal, and concentrated on one river. Three Environment Agency flood warning areas are named for Taunton, all on the River Tone. The first covers riverside properties from Silk Mills Bridge to Bathpool. The second covers low-lying properties set back from the river along Clarence Street and Staplegrove Road. The third covers other set-back properties from Roughmoor Crescent through to Firepool. Somerset Council puts 1,031 Taunton properties currently at risk, rising to 2,548 by 2118 with climate change. It describes the 1960s and 1970s river walls as now deteriorating and estimates the replacement scheme at upwards of 50 million pounds. A block in these areas should have its flood cover reviewed at each renewal and a reserve held for reinstatement.
Flat Share Matches England Exactly at 22.2 Per Cent
Across the six wards covering the town, 5,108 of 29,156 households were in a purpose-built block at the 2021 Census, 17.5 per cent. A further 2.9 per cent were in a converted or shared house. All flat categories together reach 22.2 per cent, which matches England exactly and is nearly double the 12.7 per cent for Somerset as a whole. Taunton East holds the largest concentration of purpose-built flats. With that many blocks, fire risk assessments, communal maintenance and service charge accounts are routine work for directors across the town.
375 Listed Entries Across the Town
Eleven conservation areas carry the Taunton name, seven of them designated on a single day in January 1975. The eleventh, Haines Hill and Trull Road, was designated in March 2023 and is the only conservation area in the whole former district designated this century. A block in any of them needs external works such as windows and roofing checked against conservation controls before a major works specification is fixed.
375 entries on the National Heritage List fall inside the built-up area, 6 of them Grade I and 31 Grade II*. The council publishes no total, so the figure comes from Historic England's open data for the built-up area. A block in a listed building needs listed building consent for works that affect its character, and the programme should allow for it.
Lowest Radon Band in 28 of 29 Squares Near the Centre
Lowest band. 28 of 29 sampled kilometre squares within about three kilometres of the town centre are in the lowest radon class. There, fewer than one per cent of homes reach the action level and measurement is not advised. The published caveat still applies to basements, cellars and underground spaces regardless of location. In a block that means the plant room and the undercroft rather than the flats.
That is national advice about the ground, not about the building. The same map excludes basements, cellars and underground spaces at every band, so an enclosed plant room, undercroft or lower-ground flat is still worth a look even here, and whatever is found belongs with the compliance record.
One Article 4 at Staplegrove Road, No HMO Direction
One Article 4 direction in Taunton, at Staplegrove Road, confirmed in 1977. There is no direction removing permitted development rights for houses in multiple occupation here; the county's only HMO direction is in Yeovil. Licensing is mandatory only.
Still Decided on the Taunton Deane Core Strategy
No Somerset-wide local plan is adopted yet. Taunton is still decided on the Taunton Deane Core Strategy for 2011 to 2028 and the site allocations plan. The town centre area action plan and design code from 2008 also apply, with three saved policies from a 2004 local plan. Taunton is also a designated garden town, given 375,000 pounds and a 13,000 home figure in 2017. A vision document and a design charter were adopted in 2019. Consents for alterations to a block are judged against these older plans until the county plan is adopted.
Converted Flats Keep the Original Parking Permit Allocation
Somerset Council's premiums are set for the whole county, so a Taunton flat is charged on the same basis as one in Yeovil or Bridgwater. What is specific to Taunton is the parking consequence of conversion. Under the council's permit rules, a house converted into several flats keeps its original permit allocation, handed out first come first served. New-build or commercial conversions inside an existing permit zone get no resident permits at all. Directors of a converted block should make sure buyers know how many permits the building holds.
What Else Changes About Managing a Block in Taunton
- Taunton's mains water is soft, at 49.7 milligrams per litre, which is counter-intuitive for Somerset and more than three times softer than Yeovil's. Communal boilers and calorifiers here do not carry a hard water scale burden.
Tribunal Decisions on Blocks in Taunton
Published First-tier Tribunal decisions on named developments here, each read in full. They show what the tribunal expects of whoever runs a block in this area.
| Development | Issue | Decided |
|---|---|---|
| St James Court, St James Street | Section 20 consultation | 4 November 2025 |
| Castlemoat Place, Corporation Street | Section 20 consultation | 16 July 2020 |
Going Deeper in Taunton
Towns and Villages We Cover Around Taunton
Wellington, Bishops Lydeard, Norton Fitzwarren, Creech St Michael, North Petherton, Wiveliscombe.
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Taunton Questions
Is There an HMO Article 4 Direction in Taunton?
No. Taunton has one Article 4 direction, at Staplegrove Road, confirmed in 1977, and it does not remove permitted development rights for houses in multiple occupation. The county's only HMO direction is in Yeovil, and licensing in Taunton is mandatory only.
Do Flats Created by Converting a Taunton House Get Parking Permits?
Not extra ones. Under the council's permit rules a house converted into several flats keeps its original permit allocation, distributed first come first served. New-build or commercial conversions inside an existing permit zone get no resident permits at all. Council tax premiums, by contrast, are set county-wide, so a Taunton flat is charged on the same basis as one in Yeovil.
Which Plan Decides Planning Applications in Taunton?
No Somerset-wide local plan is adopted yet. Taunton is decided on the Taunton Deane Core Strategy for 2011 to 2028, the site allocations plan, the 2008 town centre area action plan and design code, and three saved 2004 policies. Taunton is also a designated garden town, with a vision document and design charter adopted in 2019.
Nearby Areas
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