EDF has defended holding up traffic through Bridgwater by moving heavy machinery during the middle of the day.

As work at Hinkley C increases more and more ‘abnormally wide loads’ including diggers and dump trucks are being hauled through Bridgwater, causing hold-ups for motorists.

Bridgwater resident Jane Carroll said she had become frustrated after getting stuck twice within a week.

Mrs Carroll said: “I have been caught out twice recently, once when I got stuck in a parking bay due to queuing traffic which wasn’t moving because of these wide loads causing delays. 

“The second time I was walking my dogs along Taunton Road I witnessed the police making sure the queuing traffic into Bridgwater was right over to the kerb in order for these huge transported trucks to get through to the M5.”

EDF say these journeys cannot be done overnight due to police and highways operational hours.

David Eccles, head of stakeholder engagement at Hinkley C, said: “Our transport strategy is to minimise disruption through a mix of a £20 million programme of road and junction improvements, temporary jetty at HPC site and upgrading of the wharf at Combwich for water-borne deliveries, together with freight management and park and ride facilities. 

“There are, however, some wide loads which need an escort and so we must work around the operational requirements of the police and highways agency in scheduling these journeys. 

“We appreciate the local community’s understanding that the safe movement of these loads is important and that a construction project of this scale will inevitably mean some disruption, for which we apologise.”