Work to improve the "concrete carriageway" which links a key Somerset town to the M5 motorway will not begin until 2023.

Somerset County Council received nearly £5M from the Department for Transport (DfT) in July 2020 towards a scheme which will improve the roundabout at Junction 26 and the Chelston Link Road to Wellington.

Council leader David Fothergill publicly confirmed in May 2021 that funding for the scheme had been secured, with officers hoping to start on-site by early-2022.

However, this start dates has now slipped by at least 12 months to 2023, with officers stating more time is needed for the detailed design work to deal with "a number of complexities" within the scheme.

Mr Fothergill stated in May that the scheme was part of the council's ongoing push to deliver "great infrastructure to create the best conditions for economic recovery", adding: "If you've ever driven the 'concrete carriageway', you will be absolutely delighted that we're finally going to be able to sort out the loud noise that rattles your car as you go along that stretch of road."

The DfT has committed £4.736M towards the scheme as part of a £100M UK-wide programme of road improvements, with the council providing a further £1M from its capital programme.

The funding will pay for structural repairs to the carriageway and drainage, which are now more than 45 years old, to ensure the road remains intact and is less prone to localised flooding.

The existing concrete slabs – many of which have cracked or been temporarily repaired – will be recycled during the construction, reducing the need for fresh Tarmac or other associated materials.

The council stated on Wednesday (March 9) that this was "a significant project involving a number of complexities", meaning the start would now be delayed.

A spokesman elaborated: "For this reason, we have been continuing to work with the contractor through the feasibility stage, exploring innovative processes we believe will be much more efficient for delivering the improvements required.

"Design work will progress during 2022, with a view to us delivering in 2023."

The area around the Chelston Link Road has seen significant development in recent years with the growth of the Wellington Business Park – including a new Costa Coffee outlet and more recently a McDonald's restaurant.

Somerset West and Taunton Council has identified the Foxmoor Business Park – accessed off the link road – as a key site for delivering employment land in the next two decades, as part of an ongoing review of its Local Plan.

The district council is also currently considering plans to build a new visitors' centre, artisan workshops and a 50-foot beacon on the Foxmoor site, which has been put forward by House of Somerset, as well as a separate employment site on the eastern side of the link road.