CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to keep fighting for a Bridgwater bypass to avoid “massive traffic problems” if a third power plant at Hinkley Point goes ahead.

At a parish council meeting last Tuesday, Cannington villagers questioned representatives from EDF, the firm behind the proposed Hinkley C, about its decision NOT to build a bypass from Dunball to Hinkley Point.

Alan Beasley, from the Save Cannington Action Group, said: “People in Bridgwater just don't seem to realise the traffic implications this will have for them.

“The roads are medieval and not built for the volume of traffic. And the weight of the vehicles is getting bigger and bigger - the roads are already breaking up and will only get worse.”

In EDF's “preferred options” published earlier this month, the Bridgwater bypass was ruled out but a smaller road around the western side of Cannington was put forward.

Mr Beasley added: “We discovered that the road will be built at the same time work gets underway at Combwich - this is going to gridlock Cannington and Bridgwater. Do they not realise this is a rural Somerset village, not built for this?”

EDF said a Bridgwater bypass had been ruled out because it would be within a flood plain, would be near areas of high environmental sensitivity and would take four years to build, potentially delaying the project.

An EDF spokesman said: “Our proposed route at Cannington is shorter and would have fewer environmental impacts, is outside the flood plain and therefore there would be no impact in terms of flood risk; and has fewer residential properties within close proximity, minimising disruption to the local community.”