Concerns over much-delayed Chard relief road

It is hoped the relief road will ease congestion in the centre of Chard

Residents could be "left in limbo" by delays to a town's promised relief road, it has been claimed.

The need for the Chard eastern relief road (ERR) was identified in 2015 but is has not been started despite new housing developments being approved.

A report was due to be discussed by South Somerset District Council in July but was delayed.

Officers said the report is still not ready, saying it would be "misleading and unhelpful" to publish it now.

At a meeting of the council's area west committee on 19 October, councillor Sue Osborne said: "It does concern me that Chard is going to be left in limbo."

Peter Paddon, the council's acting director for place and recovery, said the delivery of the ERR remained a priority but also said little action could be taken in the remaining five months of the council's life, before it is replaced by the unitary Somerset Council.

He said: "Before any construction can occur, any necessary environment works - including impact assessments - are required alongside planning permission. There will also be public consultation."

'Shrouded in mystery'

The ERR is planned to run from the A358 Tatworth Road to the A30 Crewkerne Road, taking pressure off the existing 'Convent Link' junction where the roads meet in the town centre.

Rather than building the road using central government grants or external borrowing, the council envisioned the road being built as part of housing developments within the Chard Eastern Development Area (CEDA), which will deliver up to 2,700 new homes, 17 hectares of employment land and two new primary schools.

David Bell, chairman of the Chard Area Resilience Group (CARG), said the fine details for the ERR route remained "shrouded in mystery".

He said: "Local residents are extremely concerned. It [the relief road] threatens to devalue, not improve, residential amenity and will have a large environmental impact."

The ERR is part of the district council's Local Plan. It is intended to complement new homes to the south and east of the town.

The report laying out options for how to proceed was delayed in July to give officers more time to complete it.

Mr Paddon said: "This is a work in progress, so to report on it would be misleading and unhelpful."

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