LIFE in Stourport will become "intolerable" if a huge new development is not served by major road improvements, it has been claimed.

Laing Homes wants to build 221 flats and houses on land off Mill Lane and Timber Lane, with access on to Hartlebury Road.

Wyre Forest District Council has agreed in principle to the scheme and could give it the final go-ahead next month.

But town councillors, asked for comments by the district council, stressed the extra traffic generated by the development would lead to "chaos" on routes such as Hartlebury Road and Worcester Road - unless the long-awaited multi-million-pound relief road is built.

Carol Warren said Stourport already had some of the busiest roads in the West Midlands.

"The issue is the relief road and this development brings it to the fore. I can't see how we can keep building more and more houses without dealing with the infrastructure.

She added: "We can't carry on like this. It's crazy. Life is getting intolerable in Stourport."

David Little reinforced her comments. "What concerns me greatly is access on to Hartlebury Road. You're looking conservatively at 250 extra cars.

"And anybody who uses Worcester Road nowadays notices it's backed up to Sandy Lane. Residents have complained bitterly for years.

"This is going to impose the same restrictions on them every day of the year."

The plans also mean Mill Road will be "stopped off", preventing access to the development from Timber Lane and making Baldwin Road a cul-de-sac.

Many councillors opposed this on the grounds it would hamper the emergency services.

"It will make life extremely difficult for this amount of traffic and emergency services," said Vi Higgs.

Mick Grinnall added future floods risked "trapping" residents in existing houses under the plan.

"There is quite a lot of concern about stopping up the road underneath the bridge, if for no other reason than the flooding problem that has occurred at the end of Baldwin Road.

"People are concerned that they're going to be somewhat trapped in their houses if that occurs again."

But Mr Little supported the plan to block off Mill Road. "We can't allow residents from 220 houses to access Baldwin Road. It's going to be horrendous."

Summing up the debate, Reg Knott urged the district council to examine the development's traffic implications "very, very seriously".