HUNDREDS of furious residents joined forces to protest against plans for a new relief road planned alongside a housing estate.
Campaigners in Frithwood Lane, Billericay, and the surrounding areas say 14 homes will lose “a huge proportion of the front gardens and driveways” if the road is built.
Basildon Council is proposing a new road to combine Frithwood Lane and Tye Common Road, as part of a proposed nearby development of 1,700 homes.
Roughly 250 angry campaigners took part in Saturday’s protest, with campaigners stating they have been opposing plans since 2018.
Resident, Sue Woodland, 55, said: “A total of 14 homes in Frithwood Lane will lose a huge proportion of the front gardens and driveways and plans say one house is needed for compulsory purchase by the council.
“This home has not been identified and no residents have been approached by the council. These residents lives have been blighted already for several years and that will continue for several more.
“The road is expected to see 1,600 cars an hour and it is extremely quiet and leads into Frith Woods.
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“The councillors tell us that they know the plan is the wrong plan - the road, the house numbers, the lack of infrastructure but they will not withdraw the plan.”
Both Basildon Council leader Andrew Baggott and Basildon Mayor David Dadds attended the protest.
Residents claim that the council “seems unable, or unwilling, to address residents’ concerns on the plan’s impact”.
A spokesman for Basildon Council said: ““The Revised Publication Local Plan was the subject of consultation from 1 November 2018 until 17 December 2018 and then submitted for consideration in March 2019. The housing growth and proposed link road in Billericay formed part of this consultation.
“Additional public consultation on proposed modifications to the Local Plan is programmed to take place in February and March 2022.
This consultation will be a further opportunity to comment on the Billericay link road and the new evidence related to it, prior to the Inspector-led hearings taking place later in the year.”
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