A multi-million pound upgrade to one of Taunton’s busiest junctions has been officially postponed – and concerns remain about how it could be funded in the future.

Somerset County Council put forward an £8 million scheme to improve the Creech Castle junction, which connects the A358 Toneway to the A38 Bridgwater Road.

Work was set to begin on the junction in April but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The council has now confirmed the project will not begin until 2021 at the earliest to allow Taunton’s businesses to recover from the crisis.

However, the bulk of the funding for the scheme has to be spent by March 2021 – meaning the council may have to find alternative funding sources if the Government does not grant an extension.

Cllr John Woodman, cabinet member for highways and transport, explained the situation at a virtual cabinet meeting held on Wednesday morning (June 17).

He said: “This project is of huge importance to Taunton. However, it is a very, very challenging scheme, and the A38 to Bathpool has to be closed for the whole duration of the project. We have to support the economic recovery of local businesses and the people of Taunton. We look forward to continuing work on it next year, when all this Covid-19 business is hopefully behind us.”

Of the £8 million allocated towards the scheme, £1.53 million is coming from the council’s own coffers, along with £150,000 of developer contributions from phase one of the Monkton Heathfield urban extension.

The remaining £6.41 million is being provided by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through its growth deal fund.

However, this funding has to be spent by March 31, 2021 – and could be withdrawn if work has not started on-site by this date, leaving the council to make up the difference.

Mr Woodman said both the council and LEP were lobbying the Government to ensure further borrowing would not be needed for the scheme to go ahead.

The scheme was originally intended to run concurrently with the ongoing upgrade to Junction 25 of the M5, which is also being carried out by Alun Griffiths on the council’s behalf.

Council leader David Fothergill said it was ‘absolutely right’ to take this decision – and said the delay to Creech Castle could actually prove beneficial.

He said: “Alun Griffiths had a similar situation in Bristol, when they had a scheme delayed by 18 months and that let them do a lot more planning for it.”

Andy Coupé, the council’s strategic manager for infrastructure projects, added in his written report: “Deferment of the Creech Castle scheme could enable a window for the Western Relief Road to be constructed by developers – and, subject to them commencing works in time, the scheme would be available prior to the Creech Castle scheme proceeding.”

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.

Construction finally got under way in February – following years of legal obstacles – and is expected to be completed next year.