Parish councillors are protesting road safety concerns after a large extension of a nursing home in Tolleshunt Major was approved last week.

Councillors believe plans to increase the Beckingham Court Nursing Home in Brickhouse Road to double its size will mean a dangerous increase in traffic on a road used by pedestrians and horse riders.

They claim that the lane, which is a single track path, has not been properly built for traffic and that visibility is poor leading on to the Witham Road and the increase in traffic could cause an accident.

The plans were approved last week by Maldon District Council planning committee based on recommendations by planning officers.

A report by case officer Chris Tivey said that with regard to the nature of the use of the site, residents would not be expected to have high travel demands.

Tolleshunt Major parish clerk Christine King said: "We believe the home is acceptable as it is and we are extremely concerned. Brickhouse Lane is not even a made up road. It's on a nasty bend."

She added: "There are quite a few dwellings down there and the road is used a lot by pedestrians and horse riders. There's already quite a lot of toing and froing."

The parish council also objected to the plans because they consider the amount of light already given off by the building and floodlighting is unacceptable and that light pollution would be doubled by the extension. Mrs King said that the light from the home "can be seen from all around."

District councillors made a condition of the approval that there should be no external floodlighting on the extension.

Published Monday, June 9, 2003

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