As plans for 1,450 new homes near Monkton Heathfield in Taunton move closer to approval, local cycling campaigners are pushing for urgent improvements to a key cycle route through the area. The Somerset Council’s West Planning Committee is expected to approve the second phase of the Monkton Heathfield urban extension later this year, which includes homes, commercial spaces, a new school, and new road infrastructure on Taunton’s northeast edge.
Currently, residents use a shared pedestrian and cycle link along the A38 relief road to access the town centre via the Creech Castle junction or the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. However, the Taunton Area Cycling Campaign (TACC) has expressed serious concerns about a critical stretch of this route along the A38, demanding upgrades before any further housing development or similar pathway designs proceed.
Although the council is reviewing improvements made during the recent Creech Castle junction upgrade, phase one of the development already saw the rerouting of the A38 and the addition of pedestrian and cycle lanes. Despite these enhancements, the cycle route narrows significantly at the canal bridge, forcing cyclists and pedestrians onto overgrown, narrow pavements near the Bathpool Inn before widening again closer to the Creech Castle junction.
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TACC’s principal complaint centers on the cycle path crossing at the Aldi supermarket entrance on the eastern side of the A38 between Yew Tree Lane and Bathpool Bridge. The £8.3 million Creech Castle junction upgrade completed in September 2022 included this crossing, but it lacks ‘stop line’ or ‘give way’ markings, leaving cyclists and pedestrians without priority over motorists entering or exiting Aldi. TACC argues this setup breaches both the Highway Code and the Department for Transport’s guidelines.
Pip Sheard, TACC chair, explained, “We raised these safety concerns right after the cycle path was completed in 2022. The crossing is dangerous for cyclists, pedestrians, and especially students from Monkton Wood Academy. Users feel like second-class citizens, often having to wait for courteous drivers or risk crossing without priority.”
Despite repeated requests, Somerset Council has not shared the road safety audit and claims no safety issues have been found. TACC continues to urge the council to make the Aldi entrance safer and to prevent similar unsafe crossings in future developments. The group also highlighted that simple, low-cost measures—such as installing clear signage like that at Tesco on Castle Street—could significantly improve safety.
The council spokesperson responded: “The cycle path improvements were part of the Aldi development and the Toneway/Creech Castle scheme. The road safety audit process is ongoing, and no issues have been identified so far. The situation remains under review.”
Meanwhile, phase two of the development, now branded Langaller Park, will stretch between existing homes and the Walford Cross waste depot, including nearly 12 acres of employment land, a combined primary and secondary school, local shops, a mobility hub, and a new eastern relief road connecting to the A38. If approved, the development will bring about £16 million in local infrastructure funding, with £4 million allocated to parish councils for community projects.
Additional funding requests include £323,000 from the Canal and River Trust for canal upgrades and over £921,000 from the NHS Somerset integrated care board to expand capacity at local medical centres.
A final decision from the council’s planning committee is anticipated by late summer.