THE culmination of 18 months' work to plan the future regeneration and transformation of Chard will go on show on Saturday, September 11.

Consultants LDA Design, South Somerset District Council, the South West Regional Development Agency, Somerset County Council and Chard Town Council have now completed proposals for master plans for the town and its main development sites.

GIVING FEEDBACK: Residents examine plans to help shape the future regeneration and transformation of Chard.
BETTER CENTRE: Town Square, Chard's new civic space, would provide improved public areas and office space.
ARTIST'S IMPRESSION: Mill Square, a mixed use development envisaged in the Chard of the future.

The team is inviting residents to come and see the final work at a drop-in exhibition in the Guildhall from 9am to 2pm. Hundreds of residents, community groups and business owners have helped to shape the plans since the beginning of 2009, giving feedback on the plans at each stage of their development.

District councillor Jo Roundell Greene said "This is an exciting opportunity to see all of the plans. These are what we have collectively been working on for so long and they are so vibrant and positive for the town.

"Without the time and input from everyone on the Community Forum, Town Team and the young people from Holyrood School, we would not have been able to reach this point. We always wanted the community to be involved at every stage."

Proposals include the transformation of the town centre Boden Mill site into a shopping, eating and business area, the creation of a public civic space with seating and pedestrian links, the formation of a "Green Heart" to make the most of open space around Holyrood School and improvement to junctions and transport links for the town centre.

One target is to manage housing development so roads, facilities and services are completed at the same time. This would enable further development without adding pressure to the town's roads.

Mrs Greene said: "This display shows the plans in their final form, following months of consultation and improvement. Now we have a comprehensive framework that will allow us to provide new homes, employment, and all of the services and infrastructure needed to support that growth. We will make the best out of our town centre, ease traffic congestion and re-establish Chard as a great place to visit and shop and work."

South Somerset District Council has already commissioned improvements to the traffic light system to improve flow at Chard's central A30/A358 junction. The council says these are due to be implemented in a few months.

The exhibition will include information on the emerging "Core Strategy", a district-wide plan that, when complete, will manage new development and growth across South Somerset over the next 15 years.

Council officers and LDA Design consultants will answer questions and gather feedback. LDA Design will give a 20-minute presentation of the plans hourly from 10am.