ABRIDGE: Gravel pit could be built near one of England's most dangerous roads (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

ABRIDGE: Gravel pit could be built near one of England's most dangerous roads

3:51pm Thursday 9th December 2010 in Epping Forest News By Clare Hardy

Patch Park Farm on the busy the A113 Ongar Road

PEOPLE living near the most dangerous road in the East of England have expressed their fears over plans to use nearby land as a gravel pit.

Essex County Council has listed Patch Park Farm off the A113 Ongar Road, Abridge, as a possible site for extracting sand and gravel in the future.

But people living along the A113, named one of the country's most dangerous roads earlier this year because of the number of fatal accidents there, say it could not cope with the extra lorries that a gravel pit would bring.

Terrence Ruddigan, 75, who runs Wood Green poultry farm in Ongar Road, said: “This road won't take any more traffic. It's dangerous and there is no speed limit.

“It's also queued up for about two hours every morning.”

His neighbour Barry Holman, 60, said residents had suffered when the road was used for builders' lorries during work on a nearby golf course.

“Having heavy vehicles up and down the road would be crazy,” he added. “During the rush hour, it's particularly busy and traffic doesn't travel slowly down here.”

The site is not currently one of the council's top choices for another gravel pit, but it has said this could change after it consults people on all 36 possible sites across the county.

The council is required by the Government to find enough sand and gravel to meet the county's needs for building over the next 20 years.

The councillor responsible for communities and planning, John Jowers, said: “I would encourage everyone to get involved in the consultation and to provide us with their views.

“This document aims to give residents and industries a clear vision of our plans to meet the demand for minerals extraction and provide a level of certainty over the future for all involved.”

People can have their say on the plans by going to the website www.essex.gov.uk/MDD-consultation, which contains more details, or by emailing mineralsandwastepolicy@essex.gov.uk.

The consultation closes on February 17.