FAMILIES concerned at a plan to channel heavy construction traffic through their residential estate, will be expressing their fears to councillors tonight.

Many residents of the St Margarets Mead estate in Marlborough are expected to voice their fears at a special parish meeting called by the town council at the youth centre for 7pm.

Coombe End House, the Wiltshire County Council residential home for the elderly in London Road, is to be replaced with a new 60-bed building that will be run by the Orders of St John Care Trust.

Castleoak Construction of Cardiff is the main contractor and it has asked Marlborough Town Council to grant a temporary access across the recreation ground, which would mean all its construction traffic having to use St Margarets Mead.

Wiltshire County Council officers have given the firm consent to go through the youth centre car park, although centre staff and some of its young members are concerned.

The town council has yet to decide whether it will allow Castleoak to put in a temporary access over the recreation ground that would mean moving the skateboard ramp.

Castleoak has offered to pay the council £500 a month and also to remove the derelict hard tennis courts, where it plans to put its site offices during the 15 month construction period.

Tonight families living in the Mead hope to persuade town councillors to scotch the scheme by refusing access over the playing fields.

Castleoak says it wants to access the site through the Mead and the recreation ground because of health and safety issues over using the London Road entrance to Coombe End House.

It's planned that the present 20 or so residents in Coombe End House will remain in the building until the new home is built behind.

Mead residents say there is nothing to stop Castleoak making a new entrance off London Road on the west side of the site, which would not affect the residential home, although it would mean the demolition of the separate day centre.

School janitor Peter Hands said he was angry residents were not informed or consulted by the developers or councillors. He said: "The developers talk about health and safety concerns over using an entrance off London Road. What about the health and safety for us and our children?"

Part-time cabbie Les Martin said: "This road was not built for heavy transport and it will be dangerous to have site traffic past our homes."

Eddie Ward, who has lived in the Mead since November with wife Ros, said: "We are not happy with the proposal at all. I am concerned about all the kids who use this street and cross over it to get to the recreation ground."