GAZETTE & HERALD: Chippenham residents could suffer traffic chaos because of an ambitious plan to provide environmentally friendly housing and jobs in Chippenham, according to district councillors.

District council planners have devised a master plan outlining future aspirations for the former livestock market and land to the south of Cocklebury Road.

Executive members of the district council approved the plan as development control guidance last Thursday night.

The plan proposes building around 250 to 300 houses, a new history centre, a play zone, and gives an indication of how the market site could look in the future.

It also sets out how the Hartwell ATS and parcels of Wiltshire College could be redeveloped.

The master plan was conceived following an application by Hartwell PLC to build homes on its site in Cocklebury Road. District councillors earlier refused it because they wanted to see the bigger picture and how the development would fit in with other sites along the road.

Although they approved the livestock market plan last week, executive members of the district council raised concerns about the development's impact on traffic in the town.

District councillor Philip Allnatt said the master plan needed to be modified in order to strengthen the council and residents' arguments for a second exit and bridge across the main railway line.

He said: "The Highways Authority have said they can cope at the moment with one exit but I think that is potty because we will have an extra 300 houses. I think there needs to be a realistic assessment of the traffic issue. The general public will feel very jaundiced if there is not consultation on this."

Coun Allnatt said there was considerable concern over the continued loss of emergency access to the Monkton Park area.

Residents' worries also extended to other related issues such as the use of Cocklebury Road as a car park by rail commuters and the growing amount of car parking in residential streets by college students, commuters and district council staff.

District councillor Ross Henning, lead member for car parks, said: "I am worried about the highway issue. There a dire need for another access into Monkton Park. I think there should be a separate review of the traffic issue."

District councillor Sylvia Doubell said: "Three hundred houses will equate to 600 cars and that is a lot."