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Plans to improve the roads near to the site of Glastonbury Festival look set to be scrapped after the proposal failed to gain substantial local and political support.
Somerset County Council were behind the proposal that was submitted to the government in July 2019, with the plans aiming to implement major road improvements to the A39 and A361 through Glastonbury and Pilton.
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The route is one of the busiest in the county for freight, and is also a major and oft-congested route to and from Glastonbury Festival.
The scheme, which would have cost between £40-70 million, now looks set to be withdrawn by Somerset County Council after a spokesperson explained that the council was “unable to confirm that there is widespread support for a scheme” from local residents and politicians.
“To avoid any ambiguity about the status of the scheme, it is recommended that the scheme is withdrawn from further consideration,” Mike O’Dowd-Jones, the council’s strategic commissioning manager for highways and transport, said in an official report (via Somerset Live).
“Following recent feedback received, we were unable to confirm that there is widespread support for a scheme at these pinch points,” O’Dowd-Jones’ report continues.
“We consider that it is highly unlikely that the scheme can realistically progress any further or be deliverable without a high level of community and political support.”
O’Dowd-Jones added: “We would wish to avoid a situation where any community, individual or business interest is adversely affected due to uncertainty about whether there will be a scheme and what the potential route alignments may be.”
Work on the scheme will, however, continue, O’Dowd-Jones added.
This year’s Glastonbury Festival takes place from June 24-28.
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