WELLINGTON councillors have backed plans for a long-awaited new HGV entrance off the Longforth Farm development to the Relyon and Pritex factory site.

Pritex, which manufactures acoustic and thermo-acoustic insulation products, operates from premises at the eastern end of the Relyon site at Station Mills and is one of Wellington’s largest employers.

But Pritex, owned by the Steinhoff Group along with its sister company Relyon, has been put up for sale and to ensure the site can operate independently from Relyon it will be necessary to ensure it has a clear boundary, adequate car and cycling parking spaces and a separate vehicle and pedestrian access.

Plans have been submitted to Taunton Deane Borough Council to create vehicle and pedestrian access with security fencing, gates and barriers at Station Mills in Station Road.

A northern relief road in Wellington has been a long-held aim to enable heavy goods vehicles and other large vehicles currently visiting factories without having to go through the narrow and congested roads of the town centre.

A spokesman for the applicants said: “As part of the legal agreement signed as part of the Longforth Farm residential development, Bloor Homes is required to construct the main spine road through the site of the boundary of the Relyon/Pritex site.

“Whilst this has not happened to date, Somerset County Council has informed us that this connection will happen soon.

“Approval of this application will enable vehicles from the Pritex site to directly access the first section of the relief road without passing through the Relyon site or the town centre.”

It is thought that about 20 daily two-way HGV and transit goods vehicle movements and about 190 daily two-way vehicle movements in total will no longer be required to route through the town centre and residential roads to access the site from the wider road network.

But the spokesman added: “The Steinhoff Group is aware that Wellington Town Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council would like all of the HGV traffic from the Relyon site to utilise the northern relief road alongside the Pritex HGV traffic.

“While the Steinhoff Group share this objective and will seek to reserve a right of access across the site as part of the sale of the business, ultimately the future purchaser of the Pritex business will control what Relyon is able to do across their land.”

Alan Chapman, from the company, attended Wellington Town Council’s planning committee meeting on Monday and said it was ‘crucial’ that the proposed new entrance got the go-ahead.

Although councillors gave the plans their backing some were still concerned that it did not completely solve the problem of HGV traffic through the town centre.

Cllr Janet Lloyd said: “We can’t not support this although at the moment it does mean that Relyon traffic will still be going through the town – so it’s only partly helping the situation.”

But Cllr Andy Govier added: “I support this 100 per cent and we should recommend to Taunton Deane that it should be approved.”

Cllr John Thorne supported the application but said: “I’m sure this will come as a shock for people on the Longforth Farm estate because when they bought their homes they probably weren’t told that their road was going to be used by lots of lorries.”

Taunton Deane Borough Council will make a final decision on the application.