6.98 The Somerton Town Plan (2005) recognises a number of challenges that need to be resolved to enable Somerton to maintain its position as a prosperous rural centre. These include the:

• loss/disuse of retail premises;
• parking and traffic management in the town centre;
• the lack of public transport;
• the lack of facilities for children and teenagers;
• sports facilities;
• the lack of business refuse recycling facilities; and
• inappropriate use of some buildings.

6.99 The Town and Parish Cluster Meeting workshops held as part of the preparation of this draft document raised further issues including:

• a lack of open space, allotments;
• a lack of railway station and routes for walkers and cyclists within the town;
• pressure on the doctors surgery;
• pressure on the drain/sewerage system; and
• the loss of good quality agricultural land if development takes place to the west of Somerton.[1]