Responses to the county council’s consultation over plans for a 1,250-home development on the outskirts of Sudbury have been flooding in and it appears that traffic associated with the long-awaited scheme is the primary concern.

The latest proposals for a new masterplan for the 270-acre Chilton Woods site were revealed just over a week ago. The majority landowner, Suffolk County Council, is investing £1.6million to get the key housing and employment site back on track.

Since the public consultation opened, the council has been answering queries via its website and the majority concern the increase in traffic the development would bring. Respondents have asked what is being done to make sure that roads and junctions in the area can manage the increase.

According to county highways officers, the capacity of roads and junctions is being modelled and tested via a transport assessment to see what further improvements may be required.

They say in the first instance, the priority will be to reduce traffic by focusing homes around the new village centre, with the aim of delivering “walkable neighbourhoods”. The mix of employment and community facilities will also help to contain trips within the development and reduce the need to travel.

The scheme also maximises current access to Sudbury via existing pedestrian and cycle routes. To consider the residual traffic generated by Chilton Woods, the council is testing 10 key junctions to identify what improvements may be required.

Questions have also been asked about how the increased traffic flows through Great Waldingfield, down Valley Road and Newton will be managed. In response, the county council has said the access strategy for the scheme aims to direct traffic on to the A134 at Springlands rather than Waldingfield Road.

People living in the nearby village of Acton will have a chance to view the plans at the village hall on February 12 from 12pm to 8pm.

Visit www.suffolk.gov.uk/chiltonwoods for more details.