Chard relief road land protected under revised housing plans

The Chard eastern relief road (ERR) has been an aspiration of Somerset planning officers for decades, and is intended to take pressure off the convent link junction in the town centre (where the A30 and A358 meet) and enable the delivery of new homes within the Chard eastern development area (CEDA).

To date, only one section of the ERR has been delivered – a short stretch between the A30 and Chard Reservoir as part of the Oaklands development of 78 homes, which was completed in 2022.

But revised plans for a new development of 67 homes have committed to setting aside land for the northernmost section of the route - with Somerset Council expected to make a ruling on the proposals before the end of the year.

The northernmost part of the ERR is expected to connect the A358 Furnham Road with Chaffcombe Road - with the South Somerset Local Plan indicating that the road would then run south along or near Touches Lane, near the reservoir.

This northernmost section will be constructed on land set aside as part of two developments between Furnham Road and Chaffcombe Lane.

LNT Care Developments is currently in the closing stages of construction of the Gillingham Grange care home, with a strip of land to the east being set aside for part of this new road.

Mr R. & Mrs C. Blackburn submitted outline plans in December 2023 to build new homes east of the care home site, with a new access onto Furnham Road and a cycle link onto Chaffcombe Lane, providing a connection to the Stop Line Way cycle route into the town centre.

Under the revised proposals, a strip of land has been set aside within this development for the other part of the ERR.

Of the 67 homes planned for the site, 23 will be affordable - narrowly missing the council's target of 35 per cent affordable homes for any new development of ten homes or more in the former South Somerset area.

A spokesperson for Greenslade Taylor Hunt (representing the couple) said: "The proposed layout has been created to ensure that there will be no undue overlooking or loss of privacy to any of the proposed dwellings.

"Moreover, the siting of the public play space has been carefully designed to ensure it is overlooked by the adjacent dwellings to afford users a feeling of safety and will also as a way of reducing the risk of anti-social behaviour from occurring."

The council is expected to make a decision on the revised proposals before the end of the year.

More detailed proposals a further section of the ERR near the A30 Crewkerne Road are expected to be brought forward by Gladman Developments in due course, after the company secured outline planning permission in January to deliver 230 new homes.

The council is expected to make a decision in the coming months on Persimmon Homes South West's plans to deliver 236 homes on the A358 Tatworth Road, which would include a new roundabout and the southernmost section of the ERR.