Somerset Council is working with Wessex Water and Wales & West Utilities to co-ordinate two vital infrastructure schemes in Chard during 2025.
Wessex Water is investing more than £1.3 million to help alleviate sewer flooding in the town, while Wales & West Utilities is delivering a £415,000 upgrade to a gas main, switching from the current metal pipes to long-lasting plastic pipes, with the work being carried out between January and October 2025.
Good progress is being made as engineering teams have been working on the second phase within Furnham Road, with more than 230 metres of water main renovated, as well as 200 metres of new sewer installed.
However, the presence of other utilities, not revealed during the previous surveys of the area, obstructed a short section along the route of the new sewer, requiring some additional work, including a 35-metre length of new electrical cable and extending the current closure of the A358 Furnham Road.
Wessex Water is continuing its progress of the new sewer towards Glynswood while this additional work takes place, with some changes to the original programme of work to ensure Wales & West Utilities can subsequently complete its own work.
The sewer project will continue along the A358 (Furnham Road) to Glynswood until Monday 30 June, with the junction of Furnham Road and Glynswood being closed from Tuesday 17 June. After that the sewer work will continue along Glynswood until Friday, 31 October.
In the meantime, Wales & West Utilities will resume its gas main upgrade on Furnham Road, which will remain closed from Monday 30 June to Friday 1 September, with Virgin Media 02 also completing cabling and connection work within this timeframe.
You can download a map detailing the closures here.
Virgin Media 02 will also carry out minor work on Glynswood ahead of Wessex Water but without the need for traffic management.
Access will be maintained for residents, but it may be delayed at times. Please speak to on-site teams with regard to any specific access requirements.
The collaborative approach ensures both schemes can take place within the road closures which will need to be in place for the safety of the public and workforce.3028 C00616 Furnham Road Chard Map (June 25)
If you have any questions about Wessex Water’s work, please call 0345 600 4 600 or visit wessexwater.co.uk/contact-us. If you are a business or other non-household property you will need to contact your water retailer with any enquiries. You can find their contact details on your most recent water bill.
For questions about the Wales & West Utilities work, please call 0800 912 29 99, email enquiries@wwutilities.co.uk or contact them on X (formerly Twitter) @wwutilities, or Facebook.com/wwutilities.
For questions about the Virgin MediaO2/ Nexfibre work, call 0333 000 5925, or email Expansion.Works@virginmedia.co.uk
