Bedford House, Taunton

Bedford House one of the largest, standalone commercial buildings in Taunton, located opposite the Somerset County Council on Park Street.

Bedford House is the largest office at 54,000 square feet in the town centre and dates back to the 1970s. In addition, it is one of the highest commercial properties in the town centre.

There is a weathered 10ft statue of what appears to be a man holding a stick at the front, however it's true meaning of the statue is not known.

It's structure consists of two office blocks, interconnected by a bridge with more office space within it. There is also an exterior penthouse. There are two car parks on the site which are protected by security barriers. There is also a helicopter pad on the east block.

The offices were acquired by Somerset County Council on a 999 year lease for £765,000. The offices are currently leased to Daejan Holdings Taunton at £30,000 per year. Daejan Holdings are currently subleasing the property to Debenhams Plc. The rental income from Bedford House has been used to build new business parks around the town, such as the Blackdown Business Park.

Bedford House is currently home to Debenhams Head Office and is an important contribution to the local economy with over 300 employees working there.



References<br>
Somerset County Council (2005) Bedford House. [Online]. Available From: http://www.tauntondeane.gov.uk/tdbcsites/council/press/PressReleases/SaleOfBedfordHouse.pdf

Somerset County Council (2005) Review Board Minutes. [Online]. Available From: http://www.tauntondeane.gov.uk/TDBCSites/COUNCIL/MEMBERS/ViewDoc.asp?DocId=/Agendas/NonConf/1/20050323/MINUTES20050323.pdf

Debenhams (2007) Taunton Head Office Facility. [Company Intranet].