The regeneration of Chard has left the town centre "on its knees" and provided poor value for money for taxpayers.
That's the verdict of David Bell, chairman of the Chard Area Resilience Group (CARG), which was formed in the aftermath of the disastrous floods which ripped through Chard and the surrounding villages in June 2021.
Mr Bell has been deeply critical of improvements to the town centre pursued by South Somerset District Council as part of its multi-million-pound flagship Chard regeneration scheme - including the new pavements on the A30 Fore Street and the "fiasco" of the Boden Street one-way system.
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The council has admitted that "stupid" mistakes were made and said it was working hard to rectify outstanding issues as soon as possible. The Chard regeneration scheme was initially comprised of three main elements:
- The delivery of a new swimming pool and leisure centre, following the closure of Cresta Leisure Centre
- The redevelopment of Boden Mill and Holyrood Lace Mill
- Improvements to the appearance and accessibility of the town centre
The new Chard Leisure Centre, constructed on the former ACI site, opened its doors to the public in November 2021 - though the council subsequently admitted in January 2022 that it had misjudged how much the project would cost.
This misjudgement, along with other factors, led the council to shelve the redevelopment of Boden Mill and Holyrood Lace Mill in August 2021 - though officers hinted progress could be made after the new unitary Somerset Council officially takes control in April 2023.
The improvements to the public realm are largely complete, with the council matching a £1million government grant with its own money - which was boosted by a further £412,500 in July 2021 to offset rising construction prices.
The scheme was discussed at a virtual meeting of the council's area west committee on Wednesday evening (June 15), where officers gave a verbal update on the progress of the scheme's different elements.
Mr Bell began by opining that the council's failure to publish a written update on the regeneration efforts before the meeting "fosters mistrust and an air of secrecy". He elaborated: "The Fore Street/ High Street area has come in for much criticism.
"Locals and officers alike have commented on poor value for money and project time scales, where the nature of the beast seems to be half a project at full cost. Chard Town Council recently heard from businesses that the town centre is on its knees.
"The air of expectation is dying, in favour of low esteem. Hopes were raised recently when I thought I saw a street theatre - but it only turned out to be an officer and workman discussing the Boden Street fiasco.
"I'd like to put out an olive branch as an invitation for the chief executive to include local members and CARG in urgent talks to create a more constructive and positive atmosphere." Peter Paddon, the council's acting director of place and recovery, admitted that mistakes had been made with both the new pool and efforts to make the town centre more accessible.
He said: "There is some good news - the leisure pool is open, and the public realm works are coming to an end. However, at the leisure pool, there is no disabled access at the moment. That is a problem, that needs fixing.
"On Fore Street, on the north side, the pavement build-out has gone wrong, and it is being called 'the ski slope'. That needs fixing.
"Also, the signposts were put in the wrong place, blocking the pedestrian access. As soon as we knew that, we had them removed."
Mr Paddon said the steps delivered to the pool in March to enable disabled access were rejected by operator Freedom Leisure, on the basis that they were "too heavy" to be safely installed and removed by staff as needed. The steps cannot be left in place permanently because the pool cover cannot be fully put in place while they are in the water.
Mr Paddon admitted this was "unacceptable" and said two "potential options for a permanent solution" - including lighter steps - were being assessed as a matter of urgency. Regarding the misplaced signposts on Boden Street and the B3162 Crowshute Link, he said he would be meeting with staff from Somerset County Council (which is responsible for highway matters) within a week to ensure they were installed in the correct locations.
He said: "It was clearly, for want of a better word, stupid that they were put where they were." Regarding the 'ski slope' pavement, Mr Paddon said the work carried out by contractors was "not to the required standard", and would be resolved "as soon as possible" in conjunction with the county council.
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Councillor Jason Baker, portfolio holder for the Chard regeneration scheme, confirmed that the 'ski slope' pavement had "not been built as to the plan - it was never meant to look like that." Councillor Dave Bulmer added: "I don't think it serves any purpose whatsoever - losing parking in the town is actually not good for local businesses in the town.
"Whichever way you look at it, people are going to drive into Chard to shop. To lose on-street parking is a lose to customers and traders. The Fore Street slope needs removing completely." Councillor Martin Wale - whose Blackdown and Tatworth ward comprises the villages around town - quipped: "Since it's going to be changed, I'll cancel Eddie the Eagle for the opening ceremony" - a reference to British ski jumper Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards, who took part in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.
Council leader Val Keitch asked for a time-scale for the pool improvements, citing her own discomfort when using the facility. She said: "Some people need to be able to go into the pool in an accessible way - me included.
"I am appalled - I was waiting with baited breath for the pool to open, but as far as I'm concerned, with my mobility problems at the moment, the pool is not usable."
Mr Paddon responded: "We are all in agreement that this has gone on too long and needs to be brought to a conclusion." A further update is expected to come back before the committee later in the year.
