NEARLY 200 people have labelled plans to build more than 500 new homes in Chard as “unsuitable, unsustainable and unsympathetic”.

A petition was set up by residents of Holbear and the surrounding streets who are opposing the application, by developer Persimmon Homes.

If successful, the development will be built off Forton Road – just metres away from another proposed development site for 200 homes.

Resident Tracey Berry commented on the application.

She said: “The council have been absolutely incredible with their knowledge and anything that they can do to help us.”

“I spent more than £400,000 on a house for the location and now they want to build six houses in the space of my garden.

“I understand that because it falls outside the border of Chard, that it would increase the housing in Forton and Tatworth by 30 per cent.”

Addressing the 200 home application, Chard town Cllr Sue Wyatt said: “The road on Tatworth Road is inadequate. For the people coming from Chardstock lane it is a blind spot. There is more infrastructure needed.

“We have not got adequate school spaces, and doctor’s surgeries.”

In July, Mayor Dave Bulmer also raised his own concerns about the 323-home plan.

At the time he said: “I have always said we need the infrastructure to go hand in hand with the development.

“At the same time we need careful thought on the existing road structure.

“The fear is with Forton Road, which is heavily used already.

“We already have a dangerous junction at St Mary’s Church and we need to be careful with adding traffic to that.”

Recently, town Cllr Irene Glynn and MP Marcus Fysh also got behind the residents’ group to help them voice their opinion.

Cllr Glynn said: “The group has pointed out that the main road running through the development, which has been described as the relief road for Chard, actually has nowhere to relieve the traffic except onto Forton Road which is clearly inadequate to deal with the increased volume of vehicles that this large development would generate.

“They also highlighted the point that, combined with the proposed development on land further down Forton Road of 250 houses, there will be an increased level of approximately 750 to 1,000 vehicles travelling into or through Chard via Forton Road and Tatworth Road, thereby increasing delays throughout the town and at the main crossroads on the A358 at Central Motors.

“Ultimately, rather than providing a relief road or by-pass for Chard town centre, it will have the reverse effect by increasing the traffic flow through the town itself.”

MP Mr Fysh added: “I am certainly going to be writing to the council to say they should seriously look at this before the meeting.

“Residents explained the application site was actually supposed to be Phase 5, not Phase 1 of the Chard Regeneration Scheme, and the road infrastructure arrangements are not suitable and in no way a relief road as they are apparently being called.”