WASHFORD will get a roundabout as part of EDF's community pay-back package after the firm secured planning permission to lay the foundations for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.

But Cannington, which will bear the brunt of the construction traffic, has missed out on a bypass.

Cllr Anthony Trollope-Bellew was a lone voice at last Thursday's West Somerset Council planning committee meeting when he argued that the French energy giant should be made to build a bypass around the village before being able to start work on the Hinkley C site.

But although his colleagues failed to support his calls to include the provision of a bypass as a planning condition, they did agree to add a "strongly worded informative", urging EDF to build a Cannington bypass at the earliest opportunity.

Mike O'Dowd-Jones, strategic planning manager at Somerset County Council, said EDF had agreed to carry out a "traffic management scheme" in Cannington to "reduce and address the impact that Hinkley construction traffic will have on pedestrian amenity".

He said EDF had offered to provide a roundabout at Washford Cross, but conceded the firm could not be forced to provide one as the site was not on the main construction traffic route.

However, while Cannington was on the main route, Mr O'Dowd-Jones said a bypass would only be required if permission was given for Hinkley C, although he said Washford needed a roundabout "to address accident problems in that location".

Mr O'Dowd-Jones' comments were described as "extraordinary" by Cllr Ian Melhuish: "It seems to be putting the cart before the horse," he said.

"You say we don't need a Cannington bypass but can build at roundabout at Washford, which we won't need until work starts [on Hinkley C itself].

"If Hinkley Point is approved there's not going to be a road to put the traffic on."

The Washford Cross roundabout had been promised by EDF as part of the main application for the construction of Hinkley C and was due to be tied-in to plans to create a park and ride facility at the Smithyard lorry terminal off the B3190 as part of that application.

But now it has been included in the preliminary works aspect of EDF's plans - largely, the Free Press has learned, because behind-the-scenes negotiations for the provision of a bypass around Cannington have stalled due to protracted wrangles over land ownership.

The district council has no jurisdiction over whether a new nuclear power station can be built at Hinkley Point and that decision will be made by a national Infrastructure Planning Commission in due course.

Last Thursday's meeting paved the way for preliminary works to be carried out on a site stretching to more than 400 acres and includes the construction of roads, roundabouts and car parks.

In addition to clearing and levelling the land, which will mean the loss of hedgerows, woodland and grassland, around 11 kilometres of footpaths will be diverted, including part of the nationally important South West Coastal Path.

EDF has pledged to "restore" the site if permission for a new power station is, ultimately, refused.

Richard Mayson, EDF's director of planning and external affairs for nuclear new build, told the meeting the firm was committed to developing the site.

He said clearing the land in advance of securing permission for Hinkley C would enable EDF to bring forward the power station project by at least a year.

"We will not let you down. The long term economic benefits locally and nationally will be enormous," he said.

Government representative Hergen Haye, head of new nuclear at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, said there was no reason Hinkley C should not be built and the Government was fully committed to nuclear power.

Fellow supporters, including local and regional business leaders and representatives from secondary and further education, urged the committee to give the green light for the site preparation works.

Ken Westall of Williton Chamber of Trade said the spin-offs from the development for West Somerset would be "mind-blowing".

"West Somerset for too long has been the Cinderella. It is time to step up and be the princess or the queen," he told planning committee members.

But the application also attracted a great deal of criticism, not least from local residents and their representatives.

Parish councils in Holford, Stogursey, Fiddington, Cannington, Otterhampton, Stringston and Stockland Bristol were among those to raise concerns about the scale of the work proposed by EDF.

Many said they were not opposed to nuclear power or Hinkley Point, but had grave fears about the process of clearing the site without permission first being secured for the power station, as well as the amount of mitigation being offered by EDF.

Lesley Flash of Stogursey Parish Council said: "This will become the biggest building site in Europe and will be seen from every point for years and years to come.

"We accept the works will be done, but object to the way in which they are being done.

"We object unless we can be certain the construction of the station follows on immediately afterwards.

"There is a possibility this ancient landscape could be stripped and left barren for years to come."

Peter Farmery of the West Hinkley Action Group added: "Everything will be destroyed.

"We are not opposed to Hinkley Point C or nuclear power, we recognise Somerset will benefit from this, but the disruption to local residents is far greater than necessary."

Burton resident David Cross accused EDF of taking a "calculated gamble" by seeking the go-ahead for site clearance well ahead of permission for Hinkley C itself.

"The Titanic was sold as unsinkable. Nothing should be taken forward until the construction of the station is guaranteed," he said.

Crispin Aubrey of anti-nuclear group Stop Hinkley said there were other ways to generate low-carbon energy and said West Somerset's planners were clearly being pressured by central Government.

"What will happen if, in two or three years' time, with massive holes in the ground lined with concrete and a devastated wasteland on the edge of Stogursey - no trees, no hedges, no bats, no birds, no badgers - EDF says 'Sorry, we don't think it's worth going ahead with Hinkley C', what will you then say to the people of West Somerset," Mr Aubrey asked the committee.

But on the advice of planning officers - and with the stipulation of some 98 planning conditions - the committee voted in favour of approving EDF's preliminary works application.

Only Cllr Trollope-Bellew voted against the plans and said he was unable to see what mitigation could be put in place to stop major traffic problems being caused in both Cannington and Bridgwater as a result of the works.

The finer points of the mitigation and conditions will be resolved privately between EDF and West Somerset Council, with the multi-million package of mitigation measures due to be secured by a signed and sealed legal agreement.

As well as a roundabout at Washford Cross, EDF has already agreed to more than £21 million of other works, compensation and community improvements.

The planning committee was told there was still some disagreement between the authority and the energy giant on some aspects of the final agreement, with EDF currently offering around £4 million less than the remaining contribution being sought by the council.

In all, the authority wants around £29 million from EDF, plus a legally binding bond to ensure money is set aside to ensure the land can be reinstated if Hinkley C is not built.