In March 2000, after years of discussion and debate, the Department for Transport launched a major study of modes of transport in the South West. It was called The London to South West and South Wales Multi-Modal Study (SWARMMS)

Among many recommendations for road and rail improvements for the South West and South Wales regions, the study proposed upgrading the A358 in preference to dualling the A303 from Ilminster to Exeter.

The SWARMMS findings were delivered to the South West Regional Assembly in May 2002.

On the choice between dualling the A358 and improvements to the A303, the SWARMMS report says:

The assembly supported the SWARMMS strategy and proposals in principle but invited interested parties to express their views. A meeting of the full assembly in July 2002 put forward a counter-proposal that both the A303 and the A358 should be upgraded. The Department for Transport has made clear that it will not proceed with both schemes, and there is a possibility they will proceed with neither.

The Department for Transport said,

In December 2002 Transport Secretary Alistair Darling gave his response to SWARMMS. He called for more technical work by the Highways Agency. The Agency reported in February 2004. Their neutral report highlighted many the advantages of the A358.

In April 2004 the South West Regional Assembly held a special meeting to vote on the two proposals. The result was deadlock. Forty-two members voted in favour of improving the A303 while 41 voted in favour of improving the A358.

A majority of the social, economical and environment members of the assembly (typically, representing business interests) voted for the A358.

The narrowness of the vote means that the Transport Secretary has no mandate from the region and must rely solely on technical, financial and environmental factors in reaching his decision.

Existing roads

There have been a number of improvements to the A358 over the years. The Hatch Beauchamp bypass was built in 1985. It was refurbished in October 2002. 125 million vehicles have used the road over the 17 years - an average of more than 20,000 a day - on a road designed to take 12,000 vehicles a day.

Another bypass - for the village of Ashill - was built in 1992 and for some years there have been plans to build a new bypass around the village of Henlade. Approval for upgrading the A358 would remove the need for a separate bypass for Henlade, identified in the County Council's Local Transport Plan as the priority for improvement. Work to pursue this has been held in abeyance pending the outcome of the Government's study.

Improvements to the A303 west of Ilminster were the subject of a 1995 public inquiry lasting nearly three months. The inquiry approved the scheme but it was dropped when Labour came to power in 1997. Environmental considerations now make the widening of the A303 practically unthinkable.