A WELLINGTON garden centre has been given a further extension of time to meet a planning condition first imposed 12 years ago.

Blackdown Garden Centre won permission in 2012 to build a two-storey retail unit on its site off the A38 if it created a right-turn lane in the carriageway to improve road safety.

Then-owner Mark Hassall went ahead with the new retail building but did not build the right-turn access.

Since then, a series of new deadlines have been set by planning officials for the condition to be met, without which the original permission would be invalid.

However, the work was never carried out.

Somerset Council has since granted new owners Blue Diamond until the end of this year to install the turning lane.

Blue Diamond consultant Stephen Cooper said: “Legal formalities have taken longer to complete than expected, so the road widening scheme cannot be completed before the planning permission expires.”

Mr Cooper said the company bought the garden centre in January, 2022, and was looking to implement the right-hand turn during 2024.

The decision angered West Buckland parish councillors, who opposed the extension of time with parish clerk Jill Larcombe saying: “There has been a long history of submitting applications to vary the condition for the time limit for this work to be carried out and this should be done as soon as possible.

“The applicants have had more than adequate time to arrange for this work and would have been aware of this condition when they purchased the garden centre.”