A ROAD safety scheme on a stretch of the A38 identified by highways officials as dangerous has still not been carried out 10 years after planning permission was granted.

Blackdown Garden Centre, near West Buckland, was supposed to widen its access off the A38 Piccadilly straight and provide a right-turn lane as part of planning consent for a two-storey building for retail sales and ancillary uses.

It was granted planning approval by then-Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC) in June, 2012, subject to conditions covering enhancements to its access from the A38.

But despite pressure from West Buckland parish and neighbouring Wellington town councillors, TDBC and Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT), which succeeded it in 2019, failed to enforce the conditions.

The garden centre said the cost of relocating telecoms infrastructure in the verge next to the access was too expensive for it to be able to afford the scheme.

The business was bought in January this year by Blue Diamond, which is the second largest garden centre retailer in the UK.

A previous extension of time expired in September of last year, and now the garden centre has asked SWT to give it a further 16 months until the end of 2023 to complete the work.

Stephen Cooper, from the garden centre, told SWT the work was still outstanding ‘due to unavoidable delays caused by the Covid pandemic’.

A planning statement submitted with the application said Blue Diamond appreciated the benefits of the road safety scheme and was looking to implement it ‘during 2023’.

The company said it was ready to sign a legal agreement with the council which would allow its contractors to carry out the roadworks.

It said it was asking for a further extension of time to December 31, 2023, on the advice of Somerset County Council highways development manager Jon Fellingham, who was ‘aware of the requirements as well as the pressures on departments and contractors’.

James McKechnie, of engineering consultancy Hydrock, said the council had since reduced the A38 speed limit from 50 to 40mph, meaning the Blue Diamonds junction scheme would provide greater visibility than was now required by design guidance.