Chard Eastern Relief Road: Key Reports Withheld Until September as FOI Requests Go Unanswered

The Chard Eastern Relief Road has been a fixture of local planning discussions for forty years. First conceived in 1986, the proposed bypass is now generating significant controversy, not only over its proposed route, but over what residents say is a systematic effort by Somerset Council to withhold information about it from the public.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, the council's portfolio holder for highways, has confirmed that key strategic route reports will not be released until at least September 2026. The stated reason is to prevent what he described as misinformation, a justification that has done little to ease concern among residents who have spent months seeking basic details about a project that would permanently alter their neighbourhood.

Darryl Sunnick, a local resident, raised the issue directly at a recent full council meeting in Bridgwater. Sunnick told councillors that his Freedom of Information requests had received no substantive response, that a WSP flooding report had been heavily redacted before release, and that an internal highways report, one which apparently advises against building the road, is being withheld entirely.

The proposed route runs close to Chard Reservoir nature reserve. Residents have raised concerns about the potential impact on protected species including slow worms, wild orchids and butterfly breeding grounds, with noise and light pollution identified as particular risks.

The combination of ecological sensitivity, contested data and a council unwilling to share its own internal assessments has left many residents feeling that a decision of profound local consequence is being driven forward without meaningful public participation.

Proper Job News has submitted its own information requests and will report on any documents received.