GRIDLOCK will be the reality in Fordingbridge if 480 new homes are built in the town, claim residents.

This evening (Tuesday) at a packed public meeting in the town hall, scores of townsfolk and leaders of residents' associations voiced their concerns over mass development outlined in the Local Plan Review 2016-2036.

The document identifies sites for around 10,000 new homes to be built within the Forest over the next 20 years, including 1,880 across Fordingbridge, Ringwood and Bransgore areas.

Chaired by Fordingbridge Mayor Malcolm Connolly with Councillor Edward Heron representing New Forest District Council, residents heard plans to build at Whitsbury, Ashford, Sweatsford Water and parcels of land surrounding Fordingbridge.

Mr Connolly told the meeting that Fordingbridge Society are "vehemently" against this plan and have appealed for a relief road from Burgate cross to Sandleheath.

Nigel Griffiths, chairman of the residents association, said: "The volumes of speed and traffic in and around Fordingbridge, in particular the High Street is unacceptable. We suffer considerably.

"To have 380 new homes in Whitsbury Road will magnify the problem. The list is endless of the impact this scale of development.

"Unless something can be done for the infrastructure then these plans are too much."

Tim Norman- Walker from Burgate Fields residents association echoed these views, adding: "The town layout cannot cope with the traffic.

"One of my residents works from Nottingham council. One of the sites earmarked, straddles Sweatfords Water. If built on will have major ecological impact and costs incurred, which will be added to the unit price.

"The infrastructure needs to be planned and installed before the houses are built."

A professional ecologist addressed the meeting and said: "The Sweatfords site is an area of ancient woodland and an ancient boundary. The fields beyond the railway line are on the Environment Agency's flood maps.

An older gent from Dudley Avenue told the meeting that an ambulance had to drive over his lawn to reach a critically ill patient because of the gridlock along the road.

One resident at Ashford said: "I back on to the field where 100 new homes are earmarked. This area is known as the Ashford Gap. I agree we need housing but this little bit of land is critical for ecology and wildlife.

"Another big concern is the lack of roads. the district council's proposal is to build better cycle ways. Giving people cycle ways is not going to sort the problem."

Mr Heron said: "We probably ought to be building a few more houses, probably not as many and probably not in quite the same way.

"However, development will happen, so better that it is planned. The infrastructure is the number one issue. The road in the High Street is incapable but the government will not give us a relief road for the number of houses we are building.

"Whatever your views please write in. If you have specific knowledge of the site then tell us."

To have your say, comment before September 16 and go to newforest.gov.uk

*A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to plans for 2,800 homes to be built in Fordingbridge over the next 20 years. The correct figure is 480.