SEVERAL schemes to improve highways and road safety in Chard, Ilminster and Crewkerne are set to go ahead.

Over 80 projects have been put forward as part of Somerset County Council’s annual Small Improvement Schemes programme and this area will receive a share of the £2.2million pot.

Measures include pedestrian crossings, cycle paths, reductions in speed limits, footpath improvements and traffic calming.

They are as follows:

  •  Improvements to and additional dropped crossing points in South Somerset;
  •  Thorndun Park Drive, Chard – improved pedestrian facilities;
  •  Stoopers Hill, Combe St Nicholas – junction layout improvements;
  •  Junction of Middle Path with Lyme Road, Crewkerne – pedestrian safety improvements;
  •  Crossroads at Five Dials, Pound Road, Horton – speed & traffic management review;
  • Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School – traffic calming and speed review;
  •  Water Street/Stoke Road Martock – mini roundabout and local signing improvements;
  •  Various locations in Merriott – improved dropped crossing points;
  •  A356 Misterton – bus stop improvements;
  •  A356 Between A303 and Crewkerne – road safety route review;
  •  A358 and B3167 Tatworth – speed and traffic management review.

Cllr Harvey Siggs, county council cabinet member for highways, said: “We’re committed to improving and developing the road network in Somerset, but face many challenges with our highways budget under increasing pressure.

“The SiS programme has been a tremendous success in recent years and proves that relatively small schemes driven by local knowledge can make a big difference.

“Our engineers will now examine the latest list of submissions to assess for their feasibility before working closely with local communities to draw up detailed individual plans.”

Many projects are put forward by county councillors who have been told of a need for road improvements by constituents, but all are subject to design, scheduling and budget availability, and may not be implemented if they do not meet the criteria.