RESIDENTS have launched a fight against plans to re-route traffic during the early stages of the Manydown development along what they say is a dangerous road.

Developer Urban&Civic are saying that they will route construction traffic down Roman Road. Residents had previously understood that traffic would enter the site via a trunk road on A339, Kingsclere Road, when works begins on the 3,500-home housing development.

It would mean that there would be 200 traffic movements a day from construction vehicles – this could either be HGVs or work vans.

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On Sunday last week residents gathered at a meeting organised by Labour candidate for Winklebury and Manydown Alex Lee.

He said: “Site traffic is intended to be routed along Roman Road for quite a significant number of years whilst they start the first phases of the Manydown development.”

He continued: “1,400 people will be directly impacted just due to the fact that their road connects directly to Roman Road, there is no other way they can get in and out of the area.”

A petition has now been launched to call on local councils to reject any changes to access and encourage the developer to install an internal road from the start of construction.

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Mr Lee told residents that he understood that the change has come forward due to “health and safety”.

One campaigner and resident raised the issue that it would not just be construction traffic using the road, but when people start moving into the new development they will also use Roman Road.

Another resident said: “I do remember that the road was going to be built first so traffic didn’t come down here. They said they were going to do that, that made people happier.”

Speaking to the developer, she said: “Do the one thing that you said you would do, why have you got to make people fight.”

David Ainsworth from Urban&Civic on behalf of the Manydown Partnership, said: “Our approach to where construction traffic enters the site reflects the outline planning permission for Manydown. The first access point will be built in the area where the first homes are delivered.

“We plan to start delivering Manydown from Worting Road and also off the Roman Road by Winklebury Way. These two access points allow us to deliver important community facilities and the primary school alongside the first homes.

“We understand that this position is different from some of the early illustrative documents, which showed other options for where building could start. However, the construction access approach has not changed from the position approved as part of the outline planning permission.

“We appreciate the concerns that construction traffic brings to a community and will continue to keep residents involved in Manydown’s progress including through regular conversations with local groups, updates on our website and engagement event opportunities.”

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