The town mayor has said that plans to create an urban street on Burnham Road would "essentially stop people leaving the Dengie" due to its potential impact on traffic.

Councillor Vanessa Bell made the comments during a Burnham-on-Crouch Town Council meeting on Tuesday (20 July), when councillors reviewed proposals to "urbanise" a section of the road.

She said: "This is just awful because it will essentially stop people leaving the Dengie."

The proposals concern highways traffic modelling by Chelmsford City Council (CCC) for a large housing development north of South Woodham Ferrers, where the main through road is to become a street.

Up to 1,200 homes could be built on the site, jointly prepared by three main parties - Countryside, ECC Property and the Speakman family, with Bellway.

The development is set to transform the B1012, as the primary route from the Dengie to all feeder and trunk routes, into an urban street with pedestrian crossings, an additional roundabout, active frontages and a reduced speed limit.

Councillor Bob Calver, who is also the council's highways coordinator, said: "They want to make connectivity between the north and the south [of South Woodham Ferrers], connecting across Burnham Road."

He added: "It does strike me that the whole thing [...] doesn't take into account the volume of traffic."

Pressure group 'The Infrastructure Group' has previously raised concerns that the proposals to construct the new homes do not take into account the infrastructure needed - particularly with regards to highway provision.

It has said that the proposals would likely turn Ferrers Road into a rat run through the centre of South Woodham Ferrers, as drivers attempt to avoid this section.

Chelmsford City Council (CCC) said: "ECC Highways Authority has advised that pedestrian crossings can actually help to regulate flows at junctions, when crossings are called, they briefly hold the traffic back for short periods of time creating breaks in the traffic at roundabout approaches allowing traffic on other arms to clear."

It added: "The introduction of crossings on the B1012 are necessary to link the new development with the rest of South Woodham Ferrers. The environment of Burnham Road will therefore change as a consequence of the development and this has to be recognised and planned for.

"Consideration is therefore being given to the reduction in speed limit to 30mph which would be in keeping with a more urbanised environment.

Regarding the revised B1012, Councillor Calver said: "We are concerned that that will cause major delays for people from the Dengie".

He proposed to approach Essex Highways with the issue of the development "stacking up traffic in Burnham" - Councillor Mary-Ann Munford seconded the proposal, which was voted through unanimously.

The final decision on planning will be taken by Chelmsford City Council.