CONCERNS have been raised a new multi million pound link road could just end up being a "cul-de-sac that ends in a farmer's field."
The committee dedicated to bringing 7,500 homes on the Colchester Tendring border has been quizzed by members of the public and councillors.
Earlier this year advance work for the A1331 link road started on the A133.
The road will link the A120 and A133 and provide access to the new homes.
But concerns have been raised the road may never be completed after it was suggested it could be built in stages and only after 4,000 of the homes have been built.
Rik Andrew, Wivenhoe Town councillor, said: “How can a £60 million cul-de-sac that ends in a farmers field possibly alleviate congestion?”
Mr Andrews told the committee there were concerns the A133 would see the brunt of traffic while the road is built.
He also claimed documents showed there would be a “quite severe” impact on traffic after 2,000 homes were built.
He added: “Can we please be honest about the traffic impact and make much more effort to mitigate it.”
Adam Gladwin, representing Elmstead Parish Council, claimed people living on the outskirts of Colchester already try to avoid the city and “rat runs form almost by the day”.
He added: “It seems there must be an awful lot of decisions being made in private which are lacking proper public scrutiny in meetings such as this.”
Jonathan Schiffers, head of housing growth and garden communities at Essex County Council, addressed the concerns, including the fear over the link road not being built before 2041.
He said the time set in the council’s document was based on models and has not been set as a target.
A consultation has launched to get the public's views on modifications suggested by a planning inspector to the plans.
One of these includes clarifying that the "full delivery of the A120-A133 link road must have secured planning consent and a commitment to full funding must be demonstrated" before the homes plans are approved.
In a motion carried five to two the committee also decided to delegate decisions to officers, stressing that members kept their right of bringing issues and points of concerns to the officers ahead of decision making.
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