A long-awaited relief road near Taunton could finally be finished next summer – six years after it was originally approved.

The western relief road (WRR) is a crucial part of the Monkton Heathfield urban extension, designed to connect the A38 Bridgwater Road with the A3259 Yallands Hill, near the proposed country park.

Plans for the road’s design – including the new junction with the A3259 – were put forward by Somerset County Council and approved back in 2015.

The road’s construction was delayed following legal issues surrounding the Hartnells Farm development within the extension, culminating in an appeal decision in 2018 which removed £1M of funding from the road scheme.

Construction finally got under way in February and is expected to be completed next year, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Hartnells Farm site was originally brought forward by the Strategic Land Partnerships (SLP), with the 320 homes being built out in three phases and up to 80 homes being affordable.

Under the original plans, approved in 2015, Taunton Deane Borough Council insisted that no more than 150 homes should be occupied before the WRR was completed.

The SLP challenged this and put forward fresh plans in 2017, adding a contribution of £1M towards the construction of the road.

But in March 2018 the developer won an appeal against the council – meaning it did not have to pay the £1M it had promised.

Somerset West and Taunton Council (which replaced Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset Council in April 2019) has clarified the road would be constructed using funding from other developments within Monkton Heathfield.

A spokeswoman said: “The removal of the £1M contribution to the WRR, through a planning appeal, was made by the previous owners of the site, the SLP.

“Persimmon Homes South West bought the land from SLP with the funding requirement already removed.

“The developer began construction of the WRR in February.  It was expected to have been completed by summer next year, after which the county council will install a bus gate on the A3259, near Prockters Farm.

“The parish council has undertaken public consultation with Persimmon about traffic calming works along the A3259, which will be put in place following the completion of the WRR.

“The road is being funded by contributions from S106 planning agreements secured from a number of sites in the Monkton Heathfield area,  including Persimmon sites.”

The road will run from the A3259 to the existing roundabout with Sellicks Road and Milton HIll, which connects to the A38.

Persimmon Homes South West announced on Thursday (April 16) that it would be providing £2M to the local community in Monkton Heathfield through the community infrastructure levy (CIL) – money which can be spent however the parish council sees fit.

The developer will also be spending £450,000 on improving sustainable drainage around the Hartnells Farm site, and will supply “green travel vouchers” to those living on the developer to encourage reduced car use.

Director Robert Hart said: “As a responsible builder, whenever we start working within a community, we look at ways to support local people and infrastructure.

“These contributions are required as part of the planning process and, in the case of Hartnells Farm, this will contribute a significant amount of funding to improve and enhance local life and the environment.

“We are also pleased to be creating jobs in construction and the supply chain which brings a boost to Taunton’s economy and the Somerset region overall.”