Work is set to get underway on the construction of a new public open space for entertainment and public art in Taunton, Somerset, as part of wider plans to transform the town.

Designed by landscape architects, the Swan Paul Partnership, the new open air performance area will also provide space for eating out and will form part of the Somerset Square development. Pegasus Developments led the first phase of the Somerset Square scheme, which included new apartments and a restaurant outside the County Ground, home of Somerset County Cricket Club.

Project Taunton will now carry out the second landscaping phase outside the Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre, which will include the installation of new outdoor seating and is scheduled to be completed in mid-November. The entrance to the theatre will be improved as part of the work, which has received funding through the government's Growth Point scheme.

Project Taunton's Ian Franklin said: "Somerset Square will be the first new public space in Taunton for a long time. It's the perfect riverside location for art installations, live performances, and eating out." Image: Solidwave