A NEW services area near Bridgwater is having to be redesigned due to land ownership issues dating back to the construction of the M5.

The Euro Garages Group is currently constructing a new petrol station, a Starbucks drive-thru and a KFC on the northern side of the Dunball roundabout, near junction 23 of the motorway.

The new services will eventually expand with further outlets, with motorists being able to access it from both the A38 Bristol Road and the A39 Bath Road.

However, due to legal issues, the company has been unable to make progress on the latter exit – and applied successfully to Sedgemoor District Council to change the plans so the facility can open on time.

Under original plans, the two access roads to the new services must be completed before the site can open.

Planning officer Adrian Noon explained the company’s position at a meeting of the council’s development committee last Tuesday (October 12).

He said: “The A39 entrance was considered essential as part of this development, to serve both the detailed bits [currently under construction] and the outline element [future units].

“It is unfortunate that it cannot be delivered now to the timing of the opening. There is difficulty with third-party ownership running alongside the A39, left over from when the motorway was built – which goes back to 1975.

“It is quite difficult to get the legal agreements in place at a county level to get the road built to the county council’s standards.”

Bridgwater Mercury: New Kfc Outlet Under Construction Near The Dunball Roundabout In Bridgwater. CREDIT: Sedgemoor District Council. Free to use for all BBC wire partners.

The company said it was confident that it could resolve the legal issues in six months – but Councillor Kathy Pearce did not share this enthusiasm.

She said: “I really don’t share optimism that this could be resolved in months – legal issues can take years.

“I’m really concerned about the temporary access dragging on and on and on, and the impact this could have.

“I also fail to see the need for another petrol station when there’s one across the road.”

In addition to changing the access arrangements, the developer also applied to extend the opening times to the drive-thru outlets.

Councillor Bill Revans said: “This is a bit of a pickle, to put it mildly. I think this is a good, pragmatic solution to move this forward.”

After around 45 minutes’ debate, the committee voted unanimously to approve the plans.