FURIOUS residents fear a huge new employment park will cause traffic chaos on Basildon’s roads, as hundreds sign a petition in a bid to stop the plans from going ahead.

Developers St Modwen Logistics has mooted bold plans to build the site just to the south of the A127, on land east of the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate.

It is hoped it will create 2,000 jobs and bring £50million to Basildon’s economy.

But campaigners have launched a petition to prevent the plan from going ahead.

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They say roads can’t cope with the increased traffic the employment park will cause during and after construction, the noise levels the traffic will produce, and also have concerns over pollution.

One health worker, who travels from Hadleigh to Basildon every day, shares similar concerns.

The 39-year-old, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The traffic on the A127 is already gridlocked, and I don’t use it during peak times.

“It’s ridiculous, we don’t need it, let alone something that size.

“I drive around a lot, and the roads are a nightmare.”

In May, figures revealed how Basildon’s air quality was among the worst in the UK.

The site is roughly the size of 89 football pitches and would be accessed by a new link road which would run through it, travelling between the A127 and Pound Lane.

Phil Turner, Tory councillor of the Billericay West ward, said: “We have to welcome this kind of investment, it’s a vote of confidence in Basildon.

“But I do understand where the petition is coming from. We don’t want a lot of noise or pollution. Our road systems do need upgrading.”

A consultation into the plans is open until the end of the month and the developers plan to submit their application in autumn this year, with a target of late 2023 or early 2024 to start construction.

The petition reads: “We as a community need to stand together to stop this, to fight as a community to prevent this type of construction being built