A MEMBER of Wellington Town Council has said the authority should scrap the name of Green Corridor for its ongoing ambitious environmental project.

It was four years ago when the former Somerset West and Taunton Council bought the 62.5-acres of land – which has become known as the Green Corridor – which covers an area stretching from Tonedale to Hilly Head and includes The Basins nature reserve.

The land was signed over to Wellington Town Council on a 150-year lease and work is well underway on coming up with exciting and environmentally-friendly plans for the Green Corridor project to protect the land for future generations.

But Cllr John Thorne, speaking at the town council’s environment committee on June 18, said it was a “nonsense” to keep referring to the initiative as the Green Corridor.

“Let’s face it – this is The Basins,” he said. “It’s an absolute nonsense for us to keep calling it the Green Corridor!

“There’s no corridor; it’s just a large piece of land. It really does irk me.”

A management plan for the project was agreed by the town council in April 2022 and covers a number of areas.

These include making the land available for public use and to be used to promote recreation, healthy lifestyles, local food growing and the development of arts and cultural spaces; working with the Wellington Community Food Group to establish a community farm on the land; extending the existing Basins Allotments site to create more space to encourage greater self-sufficiency in food production.

The Green Corridor Advisory Board - consisting of town councillors and representatives of interested community groups - meets regularly to discuss the ongoing development of the management plan.

Environment committee chairman, Cllr Chris Booth, in reference to Cllr Thorne’s remarks, quipped: “Perhaps this is something the Green Corridor Advisory Board could look at?”