Five months of roadworks begin near Somerset railway station

Taylor Wimpey Exeter is currently constructing the Wool Gardens estate on the Crewkerne Key Site, which will eventually comprise 635 homes, a 66-bed care home and commercial space between the A30 Yeovil Road and the A356 Station Road.

A total of 110 homes have already been constructed at the southern end of the site, with residents having to use the Blacknell Lane Industrial Estate to access both the town centre and the railway station, which lies in the neighbouring parish of Misterton.

Temporary traffic lights were installed on Tuesday morning (April 7) as work began on the construction of a new signal-controlled junction on Station Road - with motorists seeking to reach the station facing months of longer journeys.

The new junction, which will link the Wool Gardens estate to Station Road, was originally due to be completed before 55 homes within the development had been built and occupied.

However, the developer reached an agreement with Somerset Council in May 2025 to delay the delivery of this junction until nearly 200 homes have been completed.

Under the current planning permission, Taylor Wimpey can deliver up to 110 homes on the northern site before further phases of the development have to be approved - with a separate application for the remaining 415 homes being currently under consideration.

Julie Chant from campaign group Space4Crewkerne urged the council's executive committee to provide a start date for these roadworks when it met in Taunton on March 11.

She said: "In the current Local Plan, two key targets for Crewkerne were creating 577 new jobs between 2006 and 2028 and delivery of a new link road between the A356 and the A30 to address the vehicular congestion in the town centre.

"To the best of my knowledge, the target for new jobs has not been met and there are multiple empty business premises in both the town centre and the main trading estate. No part of the planned link road has been built.

Section One Of The Crewkerne Key Site Link Road, Showing Junctions To Care Home And Employment Area And The Signalised Junction With The A356 Station Road. CREDIT: Odyssey. Free to use for all BBC wire partners.

"The Local Plan was very clear that this link road was critical infrastructure for the town and without it the Taylor Wimpey development could not go ahead - and yet they have built houses at the southern end and have commenced housing on the northern end.

"Given the non-delivery of the critical link road, and the lack of any meaningful improvements in the town centre, daily traffic congestion has led to motorists increasingly using surrounding villages as their chosen routes, which has created enormous problems for Misterton, North Perrott and Haselbury."

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and assets, responded: "Work will commence on the southern junction in April, with a view to this being completed later in the year. This will allow the southern parcel to gain access from Station Road.

"While these works are being undertaken, our highways team will work with the developer to finalise the technical approvals for the northern access and the remainder of the link road.

"The developer is fully aware of its obligations to deliver the link road, and is working closely with us to agree the works and a programme of delivery which will look to get the link road in place as soon as practically possible."

The council's official roadworks portal indicates that two-way temporary traffic lights will be in place at the construction site until Monday, August 31.

For more details on these and other roadworks in your area, visit www.somerset.gov.uk/roads-travel-and-parking/roadworks-and-travel.

Crewkerne railway station lies on the London Waterloo to Exeter St. David's line, which is served by the recently nationalised South Western Railway (SWR).

The station handled nearly 188,000 passenger journeys in the last financial year, according to the Office of Rail and Road.

The A356 Station Road in Crewkerne (Image: Daniel Mumby)

Motorists wishing to access the railway station during the Station Road roadworks should allow additional time for their journeys, especially during peak times.

Motorists approaching from the west can access the station via Cathole Bridge Road - near the approved Maple Grove development of 145 homes - but this road will not be advertised as an official diversion.

Plans for a further 325 homes on Station Road, with additional parking for the railway station, were put forward by Place Land Ltd. in September 2025 - with a decision being expected on these proposals by the late-summer.