Homes approved despite pedestrian safety fears

Plans for 230 homes have been approved for a second time - despite concerns about pedestrian safety near a main road.

Developer Gladman Developments is behind the housing scheme planned for the A30 Crewkerne Road, in Chard, Somerset, which also includes a section of the Eastern Relief Road (ERR).

It put forward alternative proposals for pedestrian access to and from the new homes.

Councillors on Somerset Council's planning committee gave the plans unanimous support on Tuesday, with the proviso that a safe pedestrian link along the A30 must be provided before any new homes are occupied.

The site lies at the eastern entrance to Chard, between the main road and the Oakland's estate.

Access to the new homes will be from a new junction on Crewkerne Road.

Of the 230 homes, 81 will be affordable - meeting the council's target of 35% affordable housing for any new development of ten homes or more within the former South Somerset area.

The original plans were approved by councillors on the basis that the developer would provide a pedestrian link west of the access point along Crewkerne Road, linking up with existing footpaths into the town centre.

However, following extensive discussions with the council's planning and highways officers, the developer ruled that this was "not technically feasible" without narrowing the A30 to the point where traffic could only move in one direction at a time.

As an alternative, the developer proposed providing a pedestrian link directly onto Oaklands Avenue from the north-western corner of the site, allowing residents to safely walk to Avishayes Community Primary School and the local One Stop outlet.

Stephen Bainbridge from property firm Greenslade Taylor Hunt warned that development to the south of the A30 (including further sections of the ERR) would be jeopardised if the developers got out of providing the footpath along the main road.

"If it is not secured now, connectivity on foot will be severed thereafter to the south and east, to the detriment of their site, the wider Local Plan site allocation and beyond," he said.

Resident Daryl Sturrock urged the council to publish a detailed intended route for the ERR, arguing that the current proposals would increase traffic through residential areas.

He said: "This will pull significant traffic, including lorries and vans, through residential areas and right next to the reservoir."

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