Chard clinic's relocation rejected over road safety fears

Councillors were concerned about a lack of visibility onto the road in Chard

Plans to relocate a Somerset chiropractic clinic have been refused over fears about road safety.

The owners of Chard Chiropractic Clinic wanted to move it from the first floor of Essex House Medical Centre in Fore Street to a bungalow in Furnham Road.

They claim being in a single storey building would help patients with access issues.

But South Somerset District Council's area west committee refused the move over concerns about road visibility.

Councillors voted by eight to one to reject the plans on 19 October, warning vehicles would not be able to safely pull out onto the main road due to a lack of visibility.

Council leader Val Keitch said safety concerns surrounding the road outweighed any health benefits to the community, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'A nightmare'

"Getting in and out of there is a nightmare," Ms Keitch added.

The bungalow in question - called Lavington - lies on the eastern side of Furnham Road, sandwiched between the main road and industrial buildings on Furnham Crescent.

Co-owner Joanne Jones, who lives in Newton Abbot, told the committee: "There will not be a significant increase in vehicle movements.

"We have a written agreement with our neighbour to the right, who is a huge supporter of this application, to lower the wall to increase visibility."

But Christine Mitchell, who has lived at the bungalow's other neighbouring property since 1967, said the plans would make an already busy road even more dangerous.

"There have been dozens of accidents on this stretch of the road over the years, both during the day and at night.

"My children and grandchildren were banned from our front garden at all times for safety reasons. This will be an accident waiting to happen," she said.

Similar plans to relocate the clinic to the same location were refused in September 2021.

Additional reporting by Ollie Pritchard-Jones

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