PROTESTORS took the streets in Ledbury in a bid to prevent a proposed new estate, with 625 houses, having vehicular access off and onto the Bromyard Road.

Targeting the morning and evening rush hours, on Thursday, April 16, over 20 busy volunteers handed out leaflets to passing motorists, passers by and train passengers exiting Ledbury train station.

The main ticketing targets were "motorists waiting in the queue along the Bromyard Road whilst cars approach the railway bridge junction".

This is already a spot where tail-backs are likely to occur, and protestors fear vehicular access to the new estate, via a new roundabout on the Bromyard Road, would only make matters worse.

Peter Constantine, a spokesman for the protestors said: "We were willing to discuss the potential chaos that greatly increased traffic would cause by a single access point to the new development, onto the Bromyard Road.

"The volunteers were there for the morning and evening rush hours. People were very glad to have the information, very few knew anything about the viaduct development."

An estate of 625 houses, to the north of the viaduct, is a key part of Herefordshire Council's plans for the future development of Ledbury, in its "Core Strategy" document.

This is still to be adopted and it is still subject to a consultation period, set to end on Friday May 1.

Protestors say the leafleting and the calls for people to contact the county council is "the last chance to object."

In fact, it is not yet certain where the access point to the new estate will be.

Information on "major modifications" document, supplied to Ledbury Town Council as part of the consultation process, states that "vehicular access to the development will be either the Hereford Road under the viaduct or from the Bromyard Road to the north".

The protestors fear the estate will bring up to 1000 more vehicles to Ledbury's roads, and with access from this Bromyard Road this would have consequences on traffic flows and congestion not only at the railway bridge junction but in nearby villages, including Wellington Heath, Petty France, Colwall, Bosbury, Coddington and Munsley.

Anyone wishing to make their views known on the proposal should email the programme officer, Rosalind.Fallon@herefordshire.gov.uk