Somerset Council has received confirmation that a funding bid for a major road improvement has been unsuccessful.

Lead Member for Transport and Digital Cllr Mike Rigby has said the Council will continue to seek Government funding to look at alternative ways to address some of the issues affecting the villages of Walton and Ashcott on the A39 Bath Road, following notice from the Department for Transport that a bypass proposal has not been selected for funding.

Council designers submitted initial proposals in early 2022 for a scheme to construct a bypass around the two villages and have been awaiting feedback from Government. The narrow route through means the volume of passing traffic, including a large numbers of HGVs, has a significant impact on local residents.

Cllr Rigby said:

We’re disappointed at the decision but we understand the pressures on public finances both nationally and of course locally.

We’ll continue urging the DfT to help us look at issues on the route and seek to understand opportunities for further investment.

Cllr Andrea Davis, Chair of the Peninsula Transport Sub-National Transport Body which is responsible for making recommendations to Government about priorities for major transport schemes in the region, said:

The A39 is an important route supporting economic activity in our region and we are extremely disappointed that the scheme will not progress.

We hope that Government will consider alternative smaller scale investments to help improve the route.

If you spot a problem on the road you can report it quickly and easily online: www.somerset.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/report-a-problem-on-the-road/

For updates on traffic and travel follow @travelsomerset on Twitter and Facebook.