Anger at bus lane plans for Northern Approach Road in Colchester

The bus corridor will run parallel to the A134, Northern Approach Road, connecting Via Urbis Romanae and Bruff Close as part of the development of a so-called rapid transit system in the town, which will eventually run from Colchester Park and Ride to the planned 9,000-home new town near Elmstead Market.

The Essex County Council project has proved controversial among nearby residents, with 20 objections already submitted on the planning application.

One said: “There is a planning law re right of light and the new fence will block the houses along the footpath and make them dark and stop the enjoyment of people living there.

“It will also devalue the properties - are Essex County Council going to compensate the owners?”

Another added: “This is going to be horrendous for everybody in the area, with the noise pollution affecting everyone.

“Not to mention the delays which have happened on almost every other big project in Colchester.

“The time frame will take far longer than you propose and the system will not help anybody as it will remain unused just as the Park and Ride is.”

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Another added: “This is a great place to live and your proposals would seriously damage our quality of life.”

The bus corridor, in use between 6am and 10pm each day, will have a 3m wide cycle track and 2m wide pedestrian path alongside.

Funding for the first parts of the system, along with a new link road between the A133 and A120, has been secured from the Government as part of a £99million Housing Infrastructure Fund bid.

Ward councillor Martin Goss has called the application in to the planning committee.

Martin Goss is the ward councillor for Mile End (Image: Newsquest)

He said: “The design breaches legal noise standards and will have a detriment on the human rights and health and mental wellbeing of many residents.

“The noise attenuation 8 metre fence [*the fence will be 2.4m tall, about 8ft*] will have a detriment of the natural light in properties as it will be between two and five metres from the front or rear of properties along the route.

“Properties have a right to natural light under planning law and applications shouldn’t have a major detriment.”

Colchester Council will have the final say.