Households still waiting for roads to be made safe

Children have been injured and vulnerable residents are choosing to stay at home due to dangerous and unfinished roads on a housing estate, a councillor has said.

Residents on the Longmead estate in Norton St. Philip have been living with unfinished roads and no street lights for more than a decade, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

All 33 homes were constructed by Malcolm Lippiatt Homes but work on the estate road has not been completed. The developer has been approached for comment.

Councillor Dawn Denton said: "The absence of lighting means these hazards become even more dangerous after dark – we have had children taken to A&E, we have had vulnerable residents who have slipped and fallen and now choose not to go out."

Two specific legal agreements are required to complete the development, both relating to the Highways Act 1980.

Denton said during a full council meeting on Wednesday: "The residents have had many promises and very little progress.

"They deserve a clear plan, firm time-scales and a commitment from the council to do what it can to finally resolve this long-standing issue."

Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for highways and transport, apologised for the "frustration" experienced by residents but was unable to provide a cast-iron timetable for when the outstanding issues would be rectified.

Wilkins said: "Unfortunately, we don't have the power to force the developer to undertake their outstanding actions more quickly.

"The developer has unfortunately chosen to only have limited periods of engagement with our highways officers, and as a consequence has not provided the full requested details in line with our design consultation standards for adoption."

The developer has been approached for comment.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.