CANNINGTON will get £182,000 toward a series of traffic calming measures, it was agreed this week.

The money comes from the EDF and will be spent on providing a number of safety enhancements to alleviate problems created by the increased volume and speed of traffic travelling through the village.

Colin Allen, chairman of Cannington Parish Council which spearheaded the bid, said he was 'absolutely delighted' the bid had been approved.

"It has been the number one priority for the village for many years," Cllr Allen said.

"There was an original plan for traffic calming measures which was put on hold when the second Cannington Bypass was built.

"We worked with Somerset County Council to put together this bid which was unanimously backed by the parish council and received a lot of support during consultation with villagers.

"Cannington residents cannot wait for it to happen, the hope is that work can start in September and be complete by the end of October."

The money comes from the Hinkley C Community Impact Mitigation (CIM) fund which is currently administered by West Somerset Council.

An independent board creates a report on whether a given application meets the required criteria and makes a recommendation, but it is ultimately West Somerset Councillors who approve a bid.

At West Somerset Council's meeting held on Thursday, May 17, two councillors representing Stogursey spoke strongly against the plan despite its recommendation for approval.

Cllr Chris Morgan said: "I do not think this should qualify as meeting the CIM criteria.

"HPC traffic is already monitored and has to go around Cannington via the bypass, so any extra traffic going through is likely to be Hinkley A and B workers.

"The effects of traffic are much worse for those villages along the C182 such as Nether Stowey, Holford and Stogursey.

"Like those villages Cannington has problems with workers parking in the village - but the Park and Ride is due to open next week and that will make a big difference.

"In Stogursey we are the host parish and it is absolute hell at the moment, I do not see how Cannington's traffic problems are worse."

Cllr Susan Goss echoed Cllr Morgan's sentiments saying she felt it was 'disingenuous' to apply to Hinkley C mitigation funding when no Hinkley C traffic was passing through the village.

However West Somerset Council leader Anthony Trollope-Bellew highlighted that a set amount of money had been ring-fenced for Cannington as part of the Section 106 agreement when Hinkley C was granted planning permission and it was up to the village how that money was spent.

"I drive past Cannington when I go to meetings in Bridgwater and I have to say the the road layout honestly makes me angry.

"Initially they were going to put in a roundabout as part of the Park and Ride works - thank goodness they saw sense and did not do that as it is one of the only two straight stretches on that road.

"However either EDF or Somerset County Council's highways - I am not sure who would have been responsible - have put double white lines in the middle of the road.

"This means people who have been stuck behind slow lorries cannot overtake there so they are choosing to go through Cannington.

"The crass stupidity of that layout is responsible for the increased speed in Cannington."

The CIM board report agreed that more vehicles were travelling through Cannington to avoid being caught behind slow vehicles and multiple HGVs, and said this had been exacerbated by the recently approved additional 250 HGVs movements to complete the Hinkley C jetty.

The hope is the new measures will address safety concerns near the villages community facilities such as the village hall, shops, school and play area along the main route.

Here is what the money will be spent on:

- Road narrowing priorities at the eastern end of the village (adjacent to the eastern by-pass)

- Traffic islands adjacent to Jubilee gardens

- Footway widening adjacent to the village hall

- Speed cushions on Rodway Hill (northern end of the village adjacent to the northern bypass roundabout)

- Weight restrictions throughout the whole village

- 'Wig-wag' 20 mph speed restrictions adjacent to the school

- Other minor improvements such as additional bollards, signage, carriageway narrowing and extension of the lay-by at the bus stop to provide an additional car parking space.