THE long-awaited Halstead bypass is in the pipeline to be safeguarded from housing.

As part of Braintree Council’s draft Local Plan, published this week, planning officers looked at new road infrastructure they would protect from development.

Councillors and residents now feel it is a race against time to get the bypass in place before Sudbury, Halstead’s neighbouring town, gets theirs.

Both bypasses are on the list to be safeguarded.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council raised concerns over the im- pact the Halstead bypass would have on Suffolk’s road network.

Halstead councillor Jackie Pell has been campaigning for the bypass for years.

She said: “Sudbury and Halstead both need bypasses and whoever gets theirs last will be at a disadvantage.

“Halstead is a priority for us because big lorries can’t get through the town.

“We have already removed part of the St Andrew’s Church wall in the High Street, but it has only had minimal impact.

“Perhaps Halstead and Sudbury should consider working together.”

One developer had supported the bypass during the consultation period, but there is concern over the fact no land has been allocated and no suitable delivery vehicle has been identified.

As it has not been subject to design the route plans could change.

A report on the bypass said: “The Halstead bypass is a longer term proposal aimed at supporting the integrity of the A131 primary route, which runs from Chelmsford to Sudbury catering for longer distance traffic travelling from mid Essex and south Suffolk.

“As a result of combining the A131 route with other road improvements (such as the A120 at Braintree) only Halstead remains as a town that the A131 has to pass through.

“The Halstead bypass scheme was first developed and protected from development in the 1990s.

“Whilst the scheme has not come forward in the intervening time, it remains a priority for the County Council and it is likely that growth on the corridor from north Chelmsford, Braintree and at Sudbury will result in a need to commence development work on the scheme during the plan period.”

Further discussion is needed to consider how much corridor should be safeguarded.

Michelle Till lives in Trinity Street in the town centre, and witnesses ac- cidents fortnightly.

She said: “We are fighting against housing at the moment as the town can’t cope.

“The bypass should have been built a long time ago, as traffic is one of the main problems.

“More housing will destroy the town, so the bypass is a good idea.”