Bridgwater is facing mounting traffic congestion that threatens to worsen unless the impact of new large-scale housing developments is managed more effectively, a local councillor has cautioned.
The town is experiencing rapid housing growth fueled by several key factors, including the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, the establishment of a new £4 billion ‘gigafactory’ between Puriton and Woolavington, and the absence of restrictions from the ongoing phosphates crisis that has delayed developments elsewhere in Somerset.
Liz Browne of Bridgwater Without Parish Council has warned that the current “piecemeal” method of approving housing schemes will only compound existing traffic problems. She urged the adoption of a comprehensive, strategic approach to development planning and traffic management.
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Somerset Council acknowledged the concerns and promised a detailed response in the coming weeks.
Speaking at the council’s climate and place scrutiny committee in Taunton on January 15, Ms Browne highlighted the growing pressure on the town’s road networks, particularly on the A372/A39 corridor in east Bridgwater. There, two major housing projects are underway with a third pending approval, together adding 1,600 new homes.
Each development has submitted transport assessments that individually suggest no “severe” impact on traffic flow. However, Ms Browne emphasized the need to assess their combined effect.
The projects include Countryside Partnerships’ nearly completed 260-home Strawberry Grange development north of the purpose-built roundabout on A372 Westonzoyland Road near Bower Lane; Barratt Homes Bristol’s planned 530-home Folletts Farm scheme south of the same roundabout; and Edward Ware (Bridgwater) Ltd.’s proposal to build 750 homes, a primary school, community hub, and a key section of the spine road connecting A372 to A39 Bath Road.
Ms Browne cited national planning policy mandating refusal of developments that cause unacceptable highway safety risks or severe cumulative road network impacts. Somerset’s Local Plan similarly calls for managing growth to maintain road resilience and prevent serious congestion or reliability problems.
She stressed that cumulative impacts on shared transport corridors must be thoroughly evaluated rather than assessed in isolation.
Bridgwater Without Parish Council commissioned an independent traffic study analyzing current volumes on the A372 and forecasting increases from combined developments. The report projected an additional 680 two-way vehicle movements during morning peak hours and 820 in the evenings.
It stated: “Cumulative peak-hour impacts on the A372 corridor are material, concentrated, and sensitive to assumptions,” recommending fuller clarity beyond individual assessments.
Ms Browne demanded the council commission an independent, updated cumulative impact assessment focusing on the three heavily congested junctions these developments funnel traffic through, asking: “How is corridor performance assured beyond peak times?”
Councillor Henry Hobhouse, chairing the scrutiny committee, acknowledged the complexity of the issue and promised Ms Browne a written response, noting the designated officer was unavailable due to illness.
No date has been set for Edward Ware’s proposals to be reviewed by the council’s planning committee north, which manages major developments in the former Sedgemoor district. However, the council’s strategic planning committee will review progress on this and other key Somerset projects when it meets in Taunton on January 22.