Decision on Chard homes deferred
Proposals for the homes were originally submitted back in 2016
Somerset councillors have delayed a decision on new homes in Chard following concerns about traffic levels and providing new primary schools.
Persimmon Homes South West originally submitted proposals back in July 2016 to build up to 323 homes between the A358 Tatworth Road and the B3162 Forton Road.
These proposals have undergone numerous revisions over the ensuing five years, with the number of homes being reduced first to 315, then to 263 and finally to 252.
South Somerset District Council’s regulation committee met virtually on Tuesday morning (April 20) to finally make a decision on whether the new homes should proceed.
But this decision has now been delayed again to allow more information to come forward about the local road network and how new primary schools will be delivered in the town.
The Persimmon site is part of the Chard Eastern Development Area (CEDA), which the council identified in its Local Plan to deliver at least 2,700 new homes, along with 17 hectares of employment land and two new primary schools.
The plans will provide the first section of a new spine road which will eventually connect the A358 to the A30 Crewkerne Road, thereby alleviating traffic congestion at the convent junction in the town centre.
Councillor Martin Wale (whose Blackdown and Tatworth ward includes the site) described the proposed homes as “bog standard” and said traffic congestion would not be eased until the entire spine road was completed.
He said: “Every major application we’ve had over the last three years has emphasised the traffic point. Quite frankly, it’s completely nonsensical to believe Chard would be affected.
“When the distributor road will link up with the other sites is anybody’s guess – I don’t think it will in the near-future.”
Councillor Jason Baker said the convent junction could not cope with any extra traffic, and stressed the need to deliver the promised new schools before all the new homes were completed.
He said: “We already know that the convent junction is over-capacity, and we already know that the ‘experts’ Somerset County Council’s highways department have no idea what the effect of any more applications will be.”
“We’ve been failed by the county council’s schools department. Yes, there is promise of money for schools from the developers – for which we’re really grateful – but there’s never any plan to build them. The money goes into a pot and that’s where it stays.”
Councillor David Recardo added: “It is extremely convenient that the county council can look up and say ‘we take each application on its own merits’ without looking at the cumulative effect.
“I’m not allowed due to medical conditions to cycle, and I’ve got two gammy knees so I don’t walk very far. Without buses and without a car, I would be a prisoner on this estate. To me, it is a total non-starter.”
The Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has indicated that additional capacity will be needed at its GP surgeries in Chard – especially at the Tawstock and Essex House surgeries.
But the draft legal agreement with the developer does not include a ringfenced contribution to health services after the CCG “failed on every occasion” it was asked to provide a specific figure.
Councillor Sue Osborne said: “It will be a real scandal if people. move into these estates and find they cannot register locally, or if they can they can’t get an appointment for weeks.
“That is totally unacceptable. If the CCG needs to produce extra figures, we need to be kicking them and pushing them to produce those extra figures.
“To find that parents cannot get their child to a GP, who is the gateway to any medical NHS service, frankly would be appalling.
“It appears that everyone is shutting their ears, crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.”
After just under two hours’ debate, the committee voted by seven votes to four to defer a decision on the plans until more information about highways issues and provision of new school places had become available.
The council has not indicated how soon the application will come back before the committee.