Highways Agency

Public Consultation

A public consultation exercise was held into proposals to improve the A358 between M5 junction 25 at Taunton and the existing Horton Cross roundabout and also the A303 Ilminster bypass, in combination.

The twelve-week consultation period ended on 18 May 2007 and incorporated one councillors preview exhibition, seven public exhibitions, one public meeting and a number of separate meetings with parish councils. All of these were attended by Highways Agency staff along with their representatives.

A public consultation leaflet was prepared showing the preferred option and explaining the need for the scheme. It also contained a questionnaire used to gauge opinions on the preferred route and allowed respondents the opportunity to make suggestions and comments. It was distributed to land/home owners directly affected by the route, councillors, members of parliament and a number were left at deposit points across the route corridor where they were available to the public. More than 6,000 leaflets (including questionnaires) were distributed throughout the consultation period.

The Highways Agency website address for the scheme was made available to the public on the public consultation leaflet, where information on the scheme was made available. Members of the public also had the opportunity to make their responses to the public consultation, over the Highways Agency Information Line (HAIL).

The Stage 2 Environmental Assessment Reports (EARs) were sent to Statutory Environmental Bodies (SEBs). The SEBs were then asked to comment on the proposals and their formal responses state no major objections to the scheme.

The were six Scheme Assessment Report (SAR) deposit points (also used to supply the public consultation leaflets to the public).

Responses to the Public Consultation

1,020 questionnaires were returned following the consultation period. 79% were received by post. The majority of the responses showed favour for the scheme with 771 (76%) supporting the principle of an improvement of the A358/A303. 626 people (61%) responded that they also found the proposed route to be acceptable.

212 letter responses were received, again the majority of which (90%) arrived by post.

From both the comments sections of the questionnaires and the separate letters, the majority of the concerns over the scheme related to the proximity of the loop diverge at the M5 junction 25 to the Blackbrook estate. The concerns included the effects of noise, air and visual pollution, reduction in property values and the loss of the Blackbrook Pavilion playing fields. Of the 386 comments which were made in relation to why people do not find the proposed route acceptable, 38% of these stated that the Blackbrook loop was the reason.

In general, the majority of the concerns raised could be incorporated as part of the detailed design stage for a preferred route without the need to significantly alter the alignment. They include protecting the environment (for example noise, air and visual pollution), ensuring minimum land take, improving the connectivity of the existing roads to the new route and ensuring safe access by non motorised users.

Three main alternatives to the proposed route were identified from the public consultation. These are being reviewed, developed and investigated as part of the report A303/A358 South Petherton to M5 Taunton Comparison of Alternative Proposals S1, S2 and S3.

Public Consultation Report

You can download a copy of the public consultation report below:

• A303/A358 South Petherton to M5 Taunton Public Consultation Report (405KB PDF)

Appendices

• Appendix 1 - Press Notice, Advertisement and Exhibition Poster (1.44MB PDF)
• Appendix 2 - Public Consultation Leaflet (467KB PDF)
• Appendix 3 - List of Consultees (18KB PDF)
• Appendix 4 - Photographs of the Exhibition (459KB PDF)
• Appendix 5 - Exhibition Panels (1.4MB PDF)
• Appendix 5 - Scheme Plans / Appendix 6 - Regional Plan Showing Location of Yes/No/Don't Know Responses and Postcode List - For copies of these Appendices, please contact the Project Team.
• Appendix 7 - Presentation to Blackbrook Residents (486KB PDF)
• Appendix 8 - Sketches Showing Alternatives (490KB PDF)
• Appendix 9 - Local News Coverage (1.12MB PDF)