BRIDGWATER Town Council has said it was 'surprised' to hear EDF is proposing to postpone major roadworks in the town.

This week EDF said it was 'minded' to hold back on roadworks widening the junction at Bristol Road and Wylds Road near the Volkswagen garage which would last up to 28 months.

However Bridgwater Town Council said it was 'surprised' at the announcement given the importance the road improvements were given in the past when discussing the option of building a bypass.

A spokesman for Bridgwater Town Council said: “BTC were surprised to learn that consideration was to be given to the postponement of this scheme - possibly to 2023. 

“Firstly, throughout the local inquiry this junction improvement with others were critical to the Secretary of State decision and to combatting the BTC submissions favouring the construction of a bypass; and secondly that a scheme indicated to take four to six months to complete is now suggested to take over two years.

“Given the traffic impacts evident through the town and the experience of the work at Bristol Road/The Drove junction, we certainly would not wish to add to the disruption or affect on businesses.”

As part of the Development Consent Order agreement for Hinkley C, the French energy giant has already carried out a number of junction works including the infamous Wylds Road one-way system in 2017 and installing a new roundabout at Washford Cross.

READ MORE: EDF plan to postpone major Bridgwater roadworks

Chairman of Bridgwater Chamber of Commerce Steve Leahy said businesses in the Wylds Road area were still getting over losses from the previous roadworks.

“From a Chamber and local business perspective, the disruption on the scale discussed, is going to have a devastating effect on the Wylds Road and Bristol Road businesses, who are still getting over the losses of last year’s disruptions," Mr Leahy said.

“From my understanding the works were a condition of planning approval, and ultimately unavoidable, however I think delaying it for the foreseeable future would at least give some respite.”