TOWN councillors agreed last week they would make an historic move to bring the Basins land in Wellington into public ownership if a second attempt by Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT) failed.

Last year, SWT lost a bid to gain a Government Levelling Up Fund grant to purchase 62.5 acres of land stretching from Hilly Head, in Rockwell Green, along the rear of Springfield Road and as far as the former Fox’s woollen mill in Tonedale.

Following the collapse of the SWT initiative, town councillors met in confidential session last month and agreed they would instead negotiate the purchase.

However, the district council now believes it can fund the acquisition, estimated to cost more than £500,000, from its own resources.

But nervous town councillors at a special full council meeting on Wednesday (January 26) agreed a back-up plan to step back in and take over if necessary.

It would mean the town council making a first-ever application to the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) for low-interest funding which it would repay over 50 years.

In a separate initiative, the town council has had protracted talks with the Crown Estate over the past four years to buy the Basins themselves and several small parcels of land scattered nearby for a nominal £5,000 plus legal fees.

The Basins passed to the Crown Estate after a former owner of the Fox’s factory site went out of business about 20 years ago.

The town council would have to consult the community for public views before any application to the PWLB could be made.

But town councillor John Thorne told the WWN ahead of Wednesday’s meeting: “I am absolutely sure that people would overwhelmingly welcome the council bringing these important green spaces into public ownership and protecting them for future generations.

“As a child I grew up roaming these fields with my friends in every school holiday and my children have done the same, as no doubt their children will do in the future.

“If you stopped people in the street today, I think most would be very surprised to learn that the Basins land is actually privately owned and not held by a local authority.

“Alongside Wellington Park the Basins is a real jewel in the crown for our community and acquiring the area would give us an opportunity to transform it in terms of public access.”

Town clerk Dave Farrow said in a report to councillors they should welcome SWT’s renewed move to acquire the Basins land because it would negate the need for the town council to apply for a loan.

Mr Farrow said councillors could discuss future control and ownership with the district council if it was successful this time.

He said there would be ‘many benefits of the town council having a core role in having oversight of the land. This may include both future lease and purchase options’.

Mr Farrow said: “Bringing this land into public ownership will have made it a community asset, protected it from future adverse development and protected existing public access to it.

“It also enables us to work with SWT and other organisations in the town to see how we can make best use of it.”

Among the benefits would be increased opportunities for recreation, promoting healthy lifestyles, and development of arts and cultural spaces.

Work was already under way on developing plans to use part of the land for a community farm to provide affordable and sustainably produced local food.

The town council’s Basins allotments site could also be extended to help meet demand shown by a waiting list for the existing 100-plus plots.

“As with the community farm, by making more allotments available this will encourage greater self-sufficiency in food production and support the reduction of the town’s carbon footprint,” said Mr Farrow.

He said active travel could be improved with multi-user access tracks linking Rockwell Green and Westford to Tonedale, trees could be planted to offset carbon emissions, more junior playing pitches could be provided and more nature-rich habitats could be created.

Public ownership of the land would also give greater access to grants and funding awards to meet the cost of work which councillors wanted to do.