PROPOSALS for a new motorway junction near Pendock have sparked a furious response from residents who say they have been kept in the dark.

Details of a Worcestershire County Council (WCC) bid for a £1.25 million Government grant to build a slip road linking the M50 to the A438 near the village were revealed in the Malvern Gazette & Ledbury Reporter two weeks ago.

Upper Pendock resident Sarah Williams said villagers were angry that until that point they had been completely unaware of the plans, which she says would put too much stress on already potholed roads.

Objectors argue the changes would not adequately solve the problem of accessing the M5 from Malvern and the surrounding area in times of flood when the route through Upton-upon-Severn is impassable.

"I personally think the money would be better spent raising the level of the road in Upton, because I think it would serve a larger section of the population," said Rosemary Philipson-Stow, chairman of Pendock Parish Council.

Her view was echoed by West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer, who described the proposals as "unnecessary".

Alan Watts, chairman of the residents' association at Three Counties Park, warned that vehicles leaving a new motorway access would make the A438 dangerous for residents trying to get to and from their homes.

Three Counties Park is accessed from the A438 near the site of the proposed junction. It houses more than 50 homes, many belonging to retired and elderly people.

"We already have enough problems getting on and off the site because of people ignoring the speed limit," said Mr Watts.

"My experience of people coming off motorways is that they take a long time to slow down, and that will make our road even more hazardous."

Worcestershire county councillor Tom Wells is staging a meeting for concerned residents at 7.30pm on Monday, November 11, at Berrow Village Hall. He has asked the county council's highways officer to attend.

He said he was asking WCC to put the money towards raising the A4104 in Upton, as he does not believe the Government will pay out for both projects.