New homes / stadium in Chard progress after access road meets standards, resolving issues.
The council approved a revised plan last November despite concerns about flooding and traffic. Now that the access road meets approval, building the homes is closer to starting.
The homes’ access uses a road off Thorndun Park Drive, which currently serves a garage and a factory. It connects to the business park’s road, built by the council and Blackburn Trust.
In 2018, they found a road issue: the council never adopted the road, potentially causing legal issues later. To address this, the council checked the adoption in 2020 and spent £7,000, making upgrading the road a planning condition.
Planning permission required road work completion to bring the access up to standard. Octavius Infrastructure performed this work in February, improving drainage, resurfacing, and adding markings.
The road leads to the site’s future spine road, which ends near Crimchard at an emergency entrance. The stadium itself will sit in the center, surrounded by pitches, including at least one for public use, and homes will be on both sides.
The stadium will have a clubhouse and retail space, and the football club will move from Zembard Lane where their old field is sloping and caused trouble. Thirty-five percent of the homes will be affordable, which is around 103 properties.
Before starting the construction, they need approval for design and layout through a reserved matters application. The council should consider it soon, and it is expected to be reviewed before the end of the year.