LEAFY Lexden is no place for a proposed bus or tram system, residents have said.

A consultation is ongoing for plans to create a “rapid transit system” through Colchester as part of the Local Plan.

Part of proposals by Colchester, Tendring, Braintree and Essex councils to build 43,000 homes over the next 50 years, the system is designed to reduce congestion and provide quick access in and out of Braintree and Colchester.

The four routes include a connection from the Colchester/Tendring border garden community to Essex University and the existing park and ride and a connection between West Tey with Marks Tey, Stanway and Colchester town centre.

There are two options for this route:

n a northern range of options includes an envelope between the A133 (Cymbeline Way) and A12 and Tyburn Hill/London Road through Lexden and Beacon End;

n and a southern range of options includes Shrub End Road through Shrub End, continuing to the garden community via Marks Tey or into Copford Green.

Lexden councillors have responded to the consultation saying a rapid transit system through Lexden Road would be impractical.

Councillor Lewis Barber said: “We are strongly opposed to the proposed route for the rapid transit system along Lexden Road.

“In 2016 we worked with the community and authority to reject a similar proposal along Lexden Road.

“The proposed system is not suitable for Lexden Road and the new proposal made would have an even more dramatic and adverse impact on this area than the original proposals would have done.”

“To be effective, it requires a dedicated lane in both directions and doing this would remove an unacceptable amount of the road and pavement along Lexden Road.

“This would have an unacceptable detrimental impact on road and pavement capacity and safety.”

Council leader Mark Cory says garden communities needed infrastructure to be successful.

At the time of the plans being announced he said: “It would be a failure if we simply add thousands of new cars to our already stretched roads.

“This is why the rapid transit system is so important and why we are setting out a strong case for how it could operate from the first homes.”