Plans for 230 new homes north of the A30 Crewkerne Road in Chard have been approved for a second time despite ongoing concerns about pedestrian safety along the busy A30 corridor. Gladman Developments secured initial outline permission in January 2025 and recently returned to Somerset Council’s planning committee to present revised proposals addressing pedestrian access.
The proposed development, situated at the eastern gateway to Chard between the A30 and the Oaklands estate near the Chard Reservoir visitors’ car park, includes 81 affordable homes—meeting the council’s target of 35 percent affordable housing for developments of this size.
The council’s planning committee unanimously approved Gladman’s alternative plan for pedestrian access, stipulating that a safe footpath link along the A30 must be completed before residents can move in. The original proposal called for a footpath running west from the new access point along Crewkerne Road, connecting to existing paths into the town centre. However, after discussions with planning and highways officials, Gladman concluded that this was unfeasible without reducing the A30 to a single-lane highway.
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Instead, the developer proposed a pedestrian route leading from the north-west corner of the site directly onto Oaklands Avenue, which would provide safer access to nearby Avishayes Community Primary School and local shops. However, some stakeholders express worry this solution may isolate connectivity efforts to the south and east, potentially compromising the delivery of the long-planned Eastern Relief Road (ERR).
Stephen Bainbridge of Greenslade Taylor Hunt, representing landowners south of the site, cautioned that removing the footpath link along the A30 could jeopardize future development phases and foot traffic connectivity crucial to the area’s Local Plan.
The ERR, according to the South Somerset Local Plan, is a strategic road intended to link the A358 Tatworth Road with the A358 Furnham Road, crossing major routes including the B3162 Forton Road and the A30 Crewkerne Road. Each segment of the ERR is expected to coincide with new housing development projects.
Local residents and councillors voiced concerns about the absence of a clearly defined ERR route and the possibility that the development could increase traffic through residential neighborhoods, including near sensitive areas like the Chard Reservoir.
Councillor Jenny Kenton expressed skepticism about the full ERR ever being completed, pointing out previous developments have already occupied planned routes. Other councillors highlighted the sequencing challenges caused by fragmented land ownership and developments moving forward out of the originally intended order.
Despite these concerns, the committee affirmed their support, attaching a vital condition that Gladman delivers the critical pedestrian footpath on the A30 prior to any occupancy. A reserved matters application detailing the final design and layout of the homes is expected later this year.