A VILLAGER has called for a ban on new housing until work is done to a railway bridge.

Lawford Parish Council spoke about the housing allocation for the village at the latest council meeting.

In Tendring Council’s draft local plan there would be around 210 homes built on land off Cox’s Hill and off Bromley Road.

But more residents would mean more traffic on the roads causing further concerns over the railway bridge underpass which acts as a bottleneck to traffic.

Speaking at the meeting Ann Bowers said: “I would say no housing until the railway bridge is sorted out.

“With the new housing planned there could be more than 400 more cars in this area.”

But Lawford chairman Alan Coley said Tesco, which has been given approval for a new store in Manningtree, had previously mentioned plans for a trial change of priority under the railway bridge.

This would means cars would queue towards Suffolk rather than into Lawford blocking the roundabout and local roads.

The council agreed to write to Tesco to ask for a schedule of work for the new store.

Councillor Lesley Pallett said she has mentioned concerns over the bridge to Essex County Council’s highways department.

“Derrick Lewis from Highways said that it will be mentioned to Network Rail. “The sides are slanted, if that was changed you could get two-way traffic through there. “You used to be able to fit two cars through there.”