CONCERNS have been raised measures to handle added vehicles on the Ledbury roads caused by a new housing development won't be enough to stop a traffic 'nightmare'. 

Roadworks have begun at the junction connecting Hereford Road with Bromyard Road and Homend, with new traffic lights set to be installed along with a controlled pedestrian crossing. 

These works are intended to handle all the additional vehicle movements created by the Bromyard Road access to 'The Arches', Bloor Homes' 625 home housing development. 

The work has stirred much controversy with many feeling the added vehicles will bring the area to gridlock, while others said the loss of mature trees due to the works would be 'criminal.'

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The programme will also deliver new surfaced and lit foot and cycle path links between The Arches and the town centre, and signals will be put on the junction and incorporate a new, dedicated left turn lane into Bromyard Road from Hereford Road.

The work is expected to be complete by early October, and Herefordshire Council has said delays are possible throughout this process. 

People took their concerns to the Voice of Ledbury Facebook page.

Cllr Liz Harvey has said the traffic lights won't be able to mitigate for the additional vehicle movements caused by the access to the development and also raised concerns about the loss of trees. 

She added: "The design has been recently amended to reduce the amount of green space and the number of trees that will be lost and new trees will be planted by the developer but that is scant compensation for the mature trees lost." 

One resident added she feared it would be a 'nightmare' trying to get out of the rail station, while one woman said she expected the Homend would be 'bumper to bumper.' 

And one woman said the trees were so beautiful it would be criminal to lose any at all. 

A spokesperson for Bloor Homes said: "The highway works being undertaken are an integral, essential element of our new development at The Arches. 

"The works have been designed and timed in close liaison with Herefordshire Council as the highway authority and have full technical approval. 

"They are part of a package of physical improvements in the local highway network which are being brought forward early by Bloor to provide advance mitigation for future traffic generated by the new homes. 

"Pedestrian safety at this junction will be further improved by the delivery of a controlled pedestrian crossing to and from the train station with onward foot path linkage to the town trail. 

"The works have sought to retain existing trees along Hereford Road as far as possible and new tree planting will replace the small number of essential removals."