BRIDGWATER could still have a bypass built along with a tidal barrage, the Mercury has learned.

It is understood talks are taking place at the moment between district council representatives and a development partnership looking to invest money from the Middle East into the project.

The plan could potentially include the construction of a barrage, a new bridge over the River Parrett and a road from Dunball to Wembdon, allowing traffic for Hinkley to bypass Bridgwater.

With a tidal barrage in place, the River Parrett would become a vast inland waterway opening up the possibilities of new riverside developments along its banks, allowing Bridgwater to become a centre for marina activity in the style of Bristol’s Floating Harbour.

Along with the new road there would also be new homes, community centres and commercial estates turning the area north of Bridgwater into a giant new suburb swallowing up the low lying farmland, according to the source.

However, a spokesman for the district council said they were in talks with a developer but it didn’t include a bypass.

He said: “A local developer consortium, headed by Steve Trowbridge, is promoting new development to the north of Chilton Trinity that could include 2,500 new homes, employment (including off-site manufacturing of housing), a new river crossing and the early delivery of the Bridgwater Barrier.

“Presently his preferred location for the barrier and bridge is just downstream of Dunball wharf. He has had informal discussions with the council outlining his ideas.”

Sedgemoor District Council said the plans were among several being considered by developers and would be included in their local plan consultation document, to be published on October 23.

A spokesman said: “No decisions have been made as to whether this will ultimately be a preferred option and the results of the public consultation along with further technical evidence and demonstration of deliverability will be important considerations.”

MP Iain Liddell Grainger is highly sceptical of the plans if they include a bypass as he’s heard them all before but is sure the barrage and development will happen.

He said: “We’ll believe it when we see it. There’s nothing concrete and there’s no formal plans. The landowners haven’t signed up because they don’t think there’s any point.

“The Government have made it pretty clear they’ll put in their barrage regardless.”

The MP said he’d spoken to representatives of interested parties before but nothing so far had come of it. He felt the costs for a bypass would run into billions and he didn’t believe there was real money behind the plans and was sceptical about how serious the proposals were.

A barrage and new homes in the Chilton Trinity area have been included in the Sedgemoor District Council’s local plan which is currently out for consultation. Although these ideas are out there for the public to view they don’t include a new road or bypass to link up with the road to Cannington.

However, Mayor of Bridgwater, Councillor Leigh Redman said the council would welcome any proposals to construct a bypass and barrage as he insisted the town council have said all along it was would be needed.

“Any opportunity to provide a bypass would be welcomed,” he said. “The town council will listen to anyone who has plans which have at its heart the future welfare and development of Bridgwater.”

At the recent public meeting held in North Petherton’s community centre public speaker after public speaker said what was needed was a bypass and not upgrading on the J24 area. But the idea of a bypass has been dismissed by the authorities as an idea and will not happen as it was not in the original development consent order and deemed unnecessary to be constructed possibly with some money from developers and EDF.

But there have been dramatic developments which suggest the bypass plan could be back on according to one Sedgemoor District Councillor.

Following a meeting of Sedgemoor last week the leader of the Labour group on the council Michael Lerry said: “It was suggested by Nick Tait the council officer, that with the barrage and possible development, that could be the initiation of a northern bypass.”

He said at the moment the plans had been to take the traffic for Hinkley off at J24 but the bypass would negate that idea.

However he felt it would not happen in time for the construction of Hinkley C as such a project takes years to plan and execute which would not be of interest to EDF.

The representatives of the development partnership said the main objector the bypass proposals could be the Environmental Agency who may view the area of land as flood plain.

Other potential objectors could be the landowners and those wishing to keep the Chilton Trinity area as a green lung for the expanding town.

As it stands the development partnership behind the bypass may want the A39 at J23 to continue from Dunball Wharf crossing the Parrett on a high bridge and then onto the likely meeting with the Cannington road at Sandford Hill. It would then be feasible to eventually link the northern bypass to the A38 at J24 with a new western bypass across Rhode Lane. All of this would of course take years and billions of pounds which at present Mr Liddell Grainger believes is just pie in the sky.

What do you think? Should Bridgwater have a bypass or is there already too much development? Your views please to harry.mottram@nqsw.co.uk as we’d love to hear from you