PROTESTERS donned Hallowe'en costumes to express their horror at National Highways' plans to turn the A358 between Taunton and Ilminster into a four-lane 'expressway'.

Some wore traffic cones like witches' hats to make their seasonal point at a meeting at Taunton Rugby Club this week when National Highways officials met local parish, district and county council representatives to discuss the proposals.

The protesters agree with plans to improve junctions at either end of the route - Junction 25 of the M5 and Southfields Roundabout at Ilminster - but say a four-lane expressway in between is "overkill".

The meeting on Wednesday (October 19) is likely to be the last community forum before the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the A358 upgrade is submitted.

National Highways is pressing ahead with the fast-track DCO, admitting they have yet to analyse the results of a summer consultation before publishing it as part of the application, even though four months have passed since it closed

Hatch Beauchamp Parish Council chairman Kevin Comer told the County Gazette: "National Highways continue to make ludicrous claims that a motorway-style section between Thornfalcon and Ilminster would somehow 'protect and improve the local environment and improve local people's quality of life by reducing the impact of the road', but the public can see this is blatantly false.

"Somerset West and Taunton Council challenged these assumptions in its response to the preliminary environmental impact report, stating that the conclusions reached are 'considered to be misleading and possibly inaccurate' and that 'very little evidence is presented...that a 65 per cent increase in vehicle use...would result in 'no significant effects with regards to greenhouse gas emissions'."

The council has also challenged National Highways on the biodiversity impact and significant loss of trees.

Sue Comer-Jones, on behalf of the protesters, said they recognised the benefits of the Henlade bypass section, which has wide local support, but were calling on National Highways to bring forward a much reduced-scale project for the rest of the route, reducing both the environmental impact and financial cost whilst avoiding the loss of amenity for the affected communities along the A358 corridor.

She added: "If this is done before the DCO, it would resolve conflict and allow the process to complete smoothly, saving time while reducing the risk of the whole project being scrapped."

National Highways says the scheme will improve the capacity of the road and cut queues and delays at peak hours.

READ MORE: National Highways plans for A358 improvements.