Nearly 100% of homeowners in Cliff Lane, Ipswich, who attended a recent meeting over the Upper Orwell Crossings have said they do not want to see the bridge go ahead.
The Rivers Action Group – a campaign group which has raised concerns over the impact on traffic, safety and wildlife in Cliff Lane – held a public meeting at the Scout Hut on Thursday.
Around 100 people turned up to voice their fears and discuss some of the issues that need solving.
A spot vote after the talk revealed that there was no-one who accepted the plans as they were, and 96 wanted to see the bridge stopped if possible.
The group gathered outside Cliff Lane Primary School earlier in the month during rush hour to highlight some of the concerns.
Among them are the possibility of Cauldwell Hall Road and Cliff Lane being turned into busy thoroughfares, the safety of youngsters who use the road each day to get to and from school, and the impact the extra traffic would have on wildlife.
Matthew Thomas, chairman of the group, said: “It showed the strength of feeling about how against the bridge people are.
“I thought people would say what they expect but people were quite angrily against the project – especially considering the costs.”
Westminster has confirmed a £77million pot will go towards the scheme, with a further £22m coming from Suffolk County Council, but questions were raised at the meeting over whether road changes, and the bridge needing to open and close had the potential to escalate costs further.
Ward councillors Liz Harsant and Jan Perry also joined the meeting, with Ms Harsant already having pledged her support for the group.
Mr Thomas said it was not necessarily against the development if the right solutions were found.
A consultation period on the plans is set to get underway later in the year, in which people are being urged to participate.
Speaking previously, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for Ipswich, Paul West, said: “People are putting forward the concerns of their community and the balance the county council has to deal with is getting the benefits of the project that will be felt by everybody in Ipswich but mitigating any negative impact that might arise.”
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