PLANS to overhaul a major junction in Chard have caused a wave of reaction around the town.

Developers Mactaggart & Mickel are in talks with a planning inspector to build 350 homes and sporting facilities east of Mount Hindrance Farm.

As part of their plans to manage traffic in Chard town centre as a result of the extra homes they propose traffic flow changes to the Convent Link traffic lights junction linking the A358 and A30.

Plenty of you had your say at chardandilminsternews.co.uk with mollydog2 saying: “This is going to make a bad road set-up.”

Coolasice added: “I think it’s a ridiculous idea. We live up Jocelyn way, so it would cause havoc.”

Loopylou1978 posted: “Chard simply cannot cope with the amount of housing proposed. It’s all well and good to offer things like playing fields etc as an incentive, but it’s then up to the town council to maintain them and they get no more budget to do so.

“Chard needs to concentrate on making improvements to what it has, not exacerbate existing issues and make more by allowing this to happen.”

In their online application the developers say the Convent signals are “close to capacity”, but they also say the changes will allow the stop lines on Fore Street and the A358 south of the junction to be moved closer, leading to reduced intergreen/lost time and better optimised pedestrian phases.

On Monday, Chard Town Council decided to set up a sub-committee to conduct its own traffic surveys to fight any Traffic Regulation Order the developers may apply for to change the junction.