Work on new M5 business park in Somerset could begin before Christmas
Last updated 5 hours ago
Construction work on a new business park near the M5 in Somerset could begin before Christmas if new plans are approved.
Chelston Heath LLP secured outline planning permission in July 2023 to deliver the £35m ‘Chelston Heath’ development north of the recently-upgraded A38 Chelston Link Road in Wellington, near junction 26 of the motorway.
The new business park include two food and drink restaurant kiosks and one restaurant, as well as an electric vehicle charging hub – and could create more than 230 local jobs.
The Taunton-based promoter has now put forward plans laying out the phasing of the new facility – and has indicated it could begin construction before the end of the year if approval is granted.
Under Somerset Council’s planning policies, outline planning permission is valid for up to three years from the date it is issued; if work does not begin by this date, the permission lapses and a developer must apply again from scratch.
Chelston Heath LLP’s permission for the site expires on July 11, 2026 – while its permission for new wetlands to offset the development (near the Haywards Water stream) remains valid until the end of October.
Under these new plans, work on the western access from the road – comprising a left-only turn off the A38 Chelston Terrace – could begin work before the end of the current year, with a short section being listed as ‘phase one’ of the plans.
Phase two – which will complete this access and deliver the second entrance from the Chelston Link Road – will be completed by 2028/29, with the actual employment units being built out in two phases by 2031.
The existing footpath along the eastern edge of the site will be retained throughout the construction process, with improvements being made to the foot-ways on either side of the A38 on the approach to the Chelston roundabout.
A spokesperson for AWP (representing the applicant) said: “The proposed development has been assessed in line with the National Planning Policy Framework to allow the planning application to be progressed, and can be undertaken in an acceptable manner from a flood risk perspective.
“The proposed on-site development area falls within the extent of the Taunton Strategic Flood Alleviation Improvement Scheme (TSFAIS). Therefore, specific consideration has been given to the site-wide surface water drainage strategy.”
The council is expected to make a ruling on the proposals before the end of the summer.