Bridgwater faces escalating traffic congestion unless a more strategic approach is taken to the mounting housing developments, a local councillor has cautioned.
The town’s housing growth is propelled by several major factors, including the ongoing construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, the forthcoming £4 billion ‘gigafactory’ between Puriton and Woolavington, and Bridgwater remaining unaffected by Somerset’s phosphates crisis, which has delayed other developments in the region.
Liz Browne of Bridgwater Without Parish Council highlighted the dangers of the current fragmented or “piecemeal” development strategy, which risks worsening traffic conditions. She emphasized the need for a comprehensive plan to effectively manage the pressure on Bridgwater’s road network.
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Somerset Council has acknowledged these concerns and plans to issue a detailed statement in the coming weeks.
Browne raised her concerns during the Climate and Place Scrutiny Committee meeting in Taunton on January 15. She noted, “The worsening traffic congestion problems in Bridgwater will be well-known to this committee. New major developments will clearly exacerbate present issues.”
She pointed out that along the A372/A39 corridor in east Bridgwater, two major developments are underway with a third proposed, totaling 1,600 new homes. While individual transport assessments for each development conclude there would be no severe highway impact on their own, Browne warned aggregated effects had yet to be fully considered.
These developments include:
- Countryside Partnerships finalizing 260 homes at the Strawberry Grange site, situated north of a newly constructed roundabout on A372 Westonzoyland Road near Bower Lane.
- The Folletts Farm site south of the roundabout, approved for 530 homes, now owned by Barratt Homes Bristol since summer 2025.
- Edward Ware (Bridgwater) Ltd’s plans for 750 new homes, a primary school, a community hub, and completion of a spine road linking the A372 and A39 Bath Road.
Browne emphasized the importance of preventing “unacceptable congestion or reliability issues” consistent with national planning policy and the local plan, both of which require responsible management of cumulative traffic impacts.
She urged Somerset Council to conduct deeper modeling of the combined traffic effects on the three already congested junctions in the corridor, questioning current reliance on assessments treating each development in isolation. Browne called for an independent, updated cumulative impact study to better inform planning decisions.
An independent traffic assessment commissioned by Bridgwater Without Parish Council compared A372 traffic volumes before development began in 2019 with projected flows from the new housing schemes. It revealed an expected increase of 680 two-way vehicle movements during the morning peak (8-9 am) and 820 during the evening peak (5-6 pm).
The report concluded that cumulative peak-hour traffic impacts were significant and complex, cautioning that current individual development assessments may fall short of adequately capturing true effects.
Committee chair Councillor Henry Hobhouse acknowledged the complexity of these issues and promised a written response for Browne due to the absence of the relevant officer. He assured the committee that the reply would be shared with all members.
No set date currently exists for the Edward Ware proposals to be reviewed by the planning committee tasked with major Sedgemoor developments.
An update on this and other key Somerset planning matters is scheduled for discussion at the Strategic Planning Committee meeting in Taunton on January 22.