St James Street, Taunton

The Council of Taunton has taken the bold step to remove traffic from a popular cobbled street located off the main high street.
Benchmark were approached to help with the predestination of St James Street which was a rat run out of the town. The idea was to place large Corten Planters at either end to offer a sympathetic barrier.

With no designated pavement, traffic and pedestrians mixed which lead to a busy and potentially dangerous realm. The plan was to trial the planters for a 12month period.
With this in mind, we engineered them as removable should local residents favour the road being open. By placing self-levelling feet and a reinforced structure beneath they can simply be forklifted to a new location. The weathered steel planters create a subtle barrier to traffic without being too imposing. Over time the “rust” we spread evenly, leaving a beautifully textured finish.

Currently, the trial is proving to be a success with local retailers and shoppers enjoying the new public realm, free from traffic and congestion. Future plans are being discussed to further improve the street with other items of street furniture.

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