Alternative funding will need to be found to upgrade two major roundabouts if plans for 1,700 new homes in Somerset are not approved. The Selwood Garden Community (SGC) project, which includes the construction of commercial space, a new primary school and other facilities in Frome, also promises significant improvements to the town's road network.
This includes upgrades to the Beckington and White Row roundabouts, which manage high volumes of traffic between Frome and Bath via the A36. However, Somerset Council's planning committee east indicated in December 2024 that it was "minded to refuse" the plans, with a final decision expected next month.
National Highways, which oversees the A36 as part of the 海角视频's strategic road network, has confirmed that without the proposed housing development, the council will need to find alternative funding for the roundabout upgrades. The Mendip Local Plan Part II, ratified by councillors in December 2021, commits to improving these two roundabouts to accommodate additional housing sites identified within the plan.
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The proposed plan only encompasses a small portion of the land that would form the SGC, but it does include the Keyford Meadows site on Sandys Hill Lane (under construction by Curo) and the three developments currently being built on either side of the B3092 The Mount (being delivered by David Wilson Homes and Wain Homes). The plan recognises that upgrades to offset these homes (and any others delivered in the Frome area) will be required at the Beckington and White Row roundabout, as housing growth will significantly impact traffic flows in this part of Somerset and into neighbouring Wiltshire.
A spokesman said: "Schemes for the A36 Beckington roundabout and the A36 White Row roundabout are required to ensure that the proposed developments in Frome enable effective highway circulation and ensure that the functionality of the highway network is not compromised.", reports .
The Beckington roundabout links the A36 to Bath with the A361 towards Trowbridge, and also provides access to Beckington services and the northern end of the village. To alleviate the additional traffic, the southbound lane on the A36 and the westbound land on the A361 will be widened, with new signage and high friction surfaces to encourage drivers to slow down.
Under the planned legal agreements for the SGC, these improvements must be "implemented and fully operational" by the time 400 homes within the site have been occupied or 6,500 sq m of commercial space has been let out.
The White Row roundabout, a crucial intersection connecting the A361 north of Frome to the A36, as well as Beckington and the White Row Farm Shop, is set to undergo significant upgrades. In tandem with the Beckington improvements, the A36's northbound lane will be widened, and signage and surfacing will be enhanced to ensure a seamless traffic flow and reduce collisions.
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These upgrades must be completed by the same deadline as the Beckington project. Future improvements to the White Row roundabout, including widening the A361 southbound and partially signalising the junction, are also being considered.
However, their implementation will depend on subsequent monitoring, and the allocated funds may be returned if deemed unnecessary. According to planning officer Gwilym Jones' December report, "The implementation of these works is dependent on the outcome of the monitoring of queue lengths at the White Row roundabout to identify if and when further works are required to maintain operational performance."
The total cost for enhancements to both roundabouts is currently projected at £4.23m, with the design work being financed by other developments in Frome.
National Highways (formerly Highways England) stated that funding collection for these improvements has already commenced and without approval of the SGC proposals, there wouldn't be adequate funding for implementation. A spokesperson explained: "The adopted Mendip Local Plan Part II requires improvements to be delivered at both the A36 Beckington and White Row roundabouts to accommodate development allocated within the Local Plan. As the Selwood development is not allocated within the Local Plan, it was required to identify and deliver improvements that would accommodate its own impact on the A36 in addition to the impact of Local Plan growth.
"Selwood has designed and agreed schemes at both roundabouts which have been agreed by National Highways and Somerset Council. The schemes are to be funded by Selwood and certain developments allocated within the Local Plan, and Somerset have been collecting contributions from applicable developments."
James Tizzard, acquisitions, project management and sales lead at Land Value Alliances (representing the SGC landowners), stated that the development had been meticulously planned to ensure that these road improvements could be delivered without encountering viability issues.
Speaking in late-November 2024, he said: "In this scheme, we have more than £29m allocated within the Section 106 agreement, including funding for off-site highway improvements.
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"We've looked at the phasing plans and how this can come forward, and we then costed each element of that, because it's got to work. There's a housing crisis, and we need to be able to deliver those affordable homes - so there's no point in coming forward with the scheme, then questioning whether it's viable and reducing affordable housing numbers down.
"We have costed every element of this, even down to retaining walls, foundations and costs within that, to make sure that the early phases still work."
The planning committee east will deliver its final decision on the matter when it convenes in Shepton Mallet on February 4.
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