Firepool Regeneration Project - Development Agreement – Taunton, Somerset
Somerset Council · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 16 Oct 2026, 12:57.
Opportunity overview
The Firepool site is a major brownfield regeneration opportunity located in the heart of Taunton, Somerset’s County Town. The site is strategically positioned between Taunton Railway Station and the River Tone and within the town centre. This location offers excellent transport connectivity and the potential to act as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of Taunton. The Council will consider market feedback on uses; however it has established a set of strategic objectives for the Firepool project, and any future development must align with these: · Deliver a high-quality mixed-use scheme which supports the design principles in the Masterplan and Garden Town themes, particularly: - Placemaking to support Taunton Garden Town, including turning to face the river and connecting the town centre and station. Respond to place and context. - Retaining a focus on public open spaces, public realm and movement through the site and promoting sustainable forms of travel. - Promoting a zero-carbon vision for the site. · Optimise housing outcomes from the site. · Support Taunton’s economic resilience by delivering a mixed-use scheme that is complementary to the town centre and drives economic improvement. · Promote social value contribution from the activities and uses delivered on site. · Support wider regeneration in the local area by ensuring development on site commences at a rapid pace.
· Deliver a commercially viable scheme that balances Council risk and reward. The Council is progressing a Development Agreement route for the development of the Firepool site with likely key conditions focused on programme, phasing and quality.
Classification
CPV45000000 — Construction work
CPV70111000 — Development of residential real estate
CPV70112000 — Development of non-residential real estate
Lots
Lot 1Value not stated
Documents and notices
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗
Published notice details
Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.
The Council is inviting organisations to participate in this preliminary market engagement exercise relating to the development of the Firepool site.
A key part of the PME is for the Council to understand, ahead of launching the procurement in early 2027, the potential for the site and the appetite for a development partnership with the Council.
The Council is seeking written responses from the market on key matters - see Questions 1 to 10 in Section 5 of the document titled “Firepool – Soft Market Testing Brief 2026”.
The Council may, at its discretion, seek clarification of any aspect of any response received from organisations. Such clarifications may be undertaken in writing, through meetings held in person, or via virtual meeting platforms (including Microsoft Teams). The Council reserves the right not to seek clarification and shall be under no obligation to clarify any response or engage in discussions with any organisation.
The Council will consider the input and responses received as part of this PME exercise to help shape how the opportunity is presented to the market. Any resulting procurement process will not reflect any one type of bidding entity or any one organisation's preferred or recommended approaches, and the Council will ensure equal treatment of all tenderers for any procurement exercise(s).
Previous informal market engagement
During November 2025, the Council issued a soft market testing brief to 20 developer organisations representing a range of development models and sectors, including organisations with experience of similar projects and those that had previously expressed interest in the Firepool site. Meetings were held with 11 organisations, and potential partners and stakeholders were also identified for discussion.
Discussions explored the masterplan, the proposed mix of uses, viability, development phasing, delivery structures, procurement options and the factors that would influence a decision to participate in any future procurement process.
Feedback highlighted the importance of flexibility in both uses and phasing, clarity regarding the Council's requirements, and a streamlined procurement process.
Discussions indicated interest in a Development Agreement approach and explored a range of residential uses, complementary commercial, leisure and community uses, potential anchor occupiers, and funding and investment requirements. These views do not represent the Council’s agreed requirements or commitments.
Further engagement
The Council welcomes views from all interested organisations, including those that did not participate in the earlier engagement exercise. Interested organisations can access the PME documents through https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/Account/Login under ref EPRO1000621/ERFX1003590
Participation is voluntary. The Council will take appropriate steps to ensure that participation does not amount to any unfair advantages on any organisation or otherwise distort competition.
Due
6 Nov 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled
Documents
Entry 1
Id
097835-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.
1 VERSION
1
097835-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
PROCURAAXIS ANALYSIS
ProcuraAxis Analysis
Our approved analysis of the opportunity appears below the official tender information.
ANALYSIS PREVIEW
Opportunity intelligence at a glance
Somerset Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement for the planned Firepool brownfield regeneration project in Taunton. It is considering a Development Agreement route for a commercially viable, high-quality mixed-use scheme with housing, public realm, sustainable travel, zero-carbon and social-value objectives.
Who this may suit
Potential fit for organisations able to participate in a mixed-use regeneration development agreement. This is an early-stage/planned procurement, not an open bidding opportunity; supplier selection, submission and detailed commercial requirements are unknown.
Key points identified
Strategic alignmentAny future development must align with the Council's strategic objectives, including Masterplan and Garden Town design principles.Evidence: "any future development must align with these" and "Deliver a high-quality mixed-use scheme which supports the design principles in the Masterplan and Garden Town themes"
HousingOptimise housing outcomes from the site.Evidence: "Optimise housing outcomes from the site."
Public realm and sustainable travelRetain a focus on public open spaces, public realm, movement through the site and sustainable forms of travel.Evidence: "Retaining a focus on public open spaces, public realm and movement through the site and promoting sustainable forms of travel."
92% approved-analysis confidence7 supplier criteria identified2 risks or unknowns
ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.
Somerset Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement for the planned Firepool brownfield regeneration project in Taunton. It is considering a Development Agreement route for a commercially viable, high-quality mixed-use scheme with housing, public realm, sustainable travel, zero-carbon and social-value objectives.
Who this may suit
Potential fit for organisations able to participate in a mixed-use regeneration development agreement. This is an early-stage/planned procurement, not an open bidding opportunity; supplier selection, submission and detailed commercial requirements are unknown.
Key deliverables
High-quality mixed-use regeneration scheme
Housing outcomes
Public open space, public realm and site movement
Sustainable travel and zero-carbon vision
Commercially viable development programme and phasing
SUPPLIER REQUIREMENTS
7 criteria identified
Strategic alignment
98% confidence
Any future development must align with the Council's strategic objectives, including Masterplan and Garden Town design principles.
View supporting evidence
"any future development must align with these" and "Deliver a high-quality mixed-use scheme which supports the design principles in the Masterplan and Garden Town themes"
Housing
99% confidence
Optimise housing outcomes from the site.
View supporting evidence
"Optimise housing outcomes from the site."
Public realm and sustainable travel
99% confidence
Retain a focus on public open spaces, public realm, movement through the site and sustainable forms of travel.
View supporting evidence
"Retaining a focus on public open spaces, public realm and movement through the site and promoting sustainable forms of travel."
Carbon objective
99% confidence
Promote a zero-carbon vision for the site.
View supporting evidence
"Promoting a zero-carbon vision for the site."
Social value
99% confidence
Promote social value contribution from activities and uses delivered on site.
View supporting evidence
"Promote social value contribution from the activities and uses delivered on site."
Likely development-agreement conditions
88% confidence
Likely key conditions will focus on programme, phasing and quality.
View supporting evidence
"likely key conditions focused on programme, phasing and quality"
Supplier eligibility
99% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No eligibility, financial standing, experience, insurance or supplier-selection requirements are stated in the supplied notice.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Commercial model
98% confidence
The Council is progressing a Development Agreement route and seeks a commercially viable scheme balancing Council risk and reward.
View supporting evidence
"The Council is progressing a Development Agreement route" and "Deliver a commercially viable scheme that balances Council risk and reward."
Contract value
100% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No value is supplied.
Delivery
Site location
99% confidence
Firepool site, Taunton, Somerset.
View supporting evidence
"The Firepool site is a major brownfield regeneration opportunity located in the heart of Taunton, Somerset’s County Town."
Delivery pace
96% confidence
Development is intended to commence at a rapid pace.
View supporting evidence
"ensuring development on site commences at a rapid pace."
Timetable
100% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No contract start, end date, tender start or submission deadline is supplied.
display_status: "upcoming"; stage: "planning"; notice_type: "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender"
Proposed route
98% confidence
Development Agreement route.
View supporting evidence
"The Council is progressing a Development Agreement route for the development of the Firepool site"
Submission requirements
100% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No tender or market-engagement response instructions or deadline are supplied.
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
Early-stage scope and procurement uncertainty
100% confidence
This is a preliminary market engagement notice. The final scope, procurement route, supplier selection, submission requirements, commercial terms, value and timetable are unknown.
View supporting evidence
notice_type: "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender"; stage: "planning"; no values or tender dates supplied.
Conditions not final
96% confidence
Programme, phasing and quality are described as likely key conditions, rather than confirmed final conditions.
View supporting evidence
"likely key conditions focused on programme, phasing and quality"
ProcuraAxis analysis supplements, but does not replace, the original notice and tender documents. Always verify eligibility, deadlines and commercial terms with the issuing authority.
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