New homes and football stadium move step closer

The building of a new football stadium and nearly 300 homes in Somerset has moved a step closer after improvements to an access road.

The homes and a new Chard Football Club stadium were approved in November despite fears over flooding and traffic.

But planning permission came with the condition that no work began until the main access, a spur road, was brought up to an acceptable standard.

The spur road, which connects to Thorndun Park Drive has since undergone refurbishment, including improved drainage, resurfacing and new markings.

However, construction cannot begin until a reserved matters application, specifying the design and layout of the new homes, has been approved by Somerset Council.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the spur road, which will form the start of a spine road which will run through the site, was constructed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in a joint venture between South Somerset District Council and the Blackburn Trust.

Initial discussions with developers McTaggart & Mickel Homes England Ltd and the S. E. Blackburn Discretionary Trust in 2018 found the short section of road had never been adopted by Somerset County Council – which could create legal issues in the future if it is damaged or obstructed.

The district council carried out preliminary investigations into adopting the road in late 2020 at a cost of £7,000 – with planning officers subsequently agreeing that the road would need to be upgraded if planning permission was granted.

Plans for the site include a new stadium and two additional large pitches to the centre, with new homes built either side - 35 per cent of which will be affordable according to the application.

The stadium will also include a clubhouse and retail space.

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