RESIDENTS who fear proposed road alterations will cause more problems than they solve today vowed to use people power to stop the changes.Around 200 people turned out for a meeting to discuss the changes which some residents fear will cause congestion, noise and pollution.

RESIDENTS who fear proposed road alterations will cause more problems than they solve today vowed to use people power to stop the changes.

Around 200 people turned out for a meeting to discuss the changes which some residents fear will cause congestion, noise and pollution.

It is also claimed that Suffolk County Council did not consult them properly, something the council denies.

The council's plans include reducing one section of Needham Road to one lane, reversing the one-way system at Combs Ford and adding cycle lanes.

Michael Winter a resident who went to the meeting said: "The sharp depth of feeling was shown perfectly when a show of hands in favour of the plans was asked for and not one person put their hand up.

"Likewise, very few positive comments were made about them.

"We hope we got our point across to the council and we know we have people on our side."

County councillor Julian Swainson, responsible for transport, said: "We will listen to what everyone has to say before we do anything and the meeting was an important part of that.

"The measures will affect a lot of people and it's not unusual a lot of people have got involved."

The council says it went through the full consultation process but residents say information they were sent looked at Stowmarket as a whole, and was not specific to the area.

Stowmarket Town councillor Keith Myers-Hewitt: "It was a very lively meeting because people felt it was their first chance to have a say.

"The only quiet part of the meeting was when the public were asked who was in favour of the changes.

"I was amazed at the amount of people who knew nothing about the plans until we delivered thousands of leaflets.

"It really goes to show that locals weren't informed properly."

The meeting, at Hillside Community Centre, on Sunday, was called by MP for Bury St Edmunds David Ruffley.

Mr Ruffley said: "The idea was to allow people who said they hadn't had a chance to have their say, to have it.

"It's down to the county council from here on."

What do you think about the proposed changes? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk