Somerset Council to pursue smaller-scale improvements after major road project cancellation

Somerset Council intends to advocate for more modest enhancements to a significant road improvement initiative following its cancellation by the government. National Highways had previously planned to expand the A358 to a dual carriageway, connecting the Southfields roundabout in Ilminster with Junction 25 of the M5 in Taunton. This decision brings an end to years of uncertainty surrounding the £328 million scheme, which Chancellor Rachel Reeves, in her budget on 30 October, labeled as “unfunded and unaffordable.” Somerset Council stated that the government’s choice was “a big disappointment” for the county but emphasized it was “not the end of the road,” committing to push for smaller-scale upgrades in the coming years. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Councillor Richard Wilkins described Ms Reeves’ determination as “deeply disappointing” yet acknowledged the “much-needed clarity” it provided. He stated: “We are very keen to work with National Highways, the Department of Transport and our partners at Peninsular Transport to understand what is possible, and we will redouble our efforts to secure government funding to ensure improvements can be made.“This is the end of one chapter, but it is absolutely not the end of the road when it comes to improving this crucial transport link.” Peninsula Transport, an organization representing the five primary transport authorities in the south west, has previously issued multiple strategies aimed at enhancing the region’s transport and economic infrastructure. Programme director Hannah Shrimpton commented: “While the Budget announcement is disappointing, we will continue to support the DfT to ensure that they look at other ways to alleviate connectivity issues in the region.” For updates, follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.