A WOMAN who has lost her two-year campaign to try and stop her house being demolished to make way for a new road has today spoken of her disappointment.

A WOMAN who has lost her two-year campaign to try and stop her house being demolished to make way for a new road has today spoken of her disappointment.

Trudi Glass battled for two years against the Stowmarket relief road, staying in her house, which lies directly in the proposed path of the road, long after all the neighbours had left.

But now, following a public enquiry in January, the road will go ahead after government chiefs backed county council proposals for the £15million scheme including controversial compulsory purchase orders.

Ms Glass, who lives with two children in Milton Road East, was horrified to hear the plans had been rubber-stamped as her house is now set to be demolished to pave the way for the new road.

She said: “I can't think about it without crying. It is my home and I don't want to leave.”

Mrs Glass, who has lived in her three-bedroom terraced home for 26 years after buying it with her husband for £10,000 back in 1980 said the ongoing road saga had taken its toll on her.

“I can't cope with thinking about leaving,” Ms Glass said. “I'm not coping with this at all well. The law is wrong and it needs to be changed,” she added.

Suffolk County Council wants to build the B1115 relief road in the town to ease traffic problems.

Guy McGregor, portfolio holder for roads and transport, said he was delighted with the decision to give the project a green light following a public inquiry.

“I was responsible for the first part of the Stowmarket inner relief road and was very pleased to get that through all those years ago,” he said.

“I'm delighted this further stage is now coming to fruition as it will be for the good of Stowmarket,” he added.

Mr McGregor said the road will create three major benefits:

It will free a large swathe of land for housing to the west of the railway.

It will alleviate the problem of the level crossing in the centre of Stowmarket.

It will ease traffic in the town.

Weblinks:

www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Timeline:

The county council hopes to have an approved plan for the road in place by September or October this year.

The plans should be “put out to tender” with potential developers by January or February 2007.

A contract should be secured by March with work beginning shortly after.

Due to the complexity of the work - building on boggy land and crossing a river - the project is expected to take two years to complete so should be finished by Spring 2009.