Families living in a narrow country lane have said they would fear for their safety if buses were allowed to drive down part of Nedging Road.

Coach company Three Cs Travel is banned from accessing its depot at Hill Farm in Nedging using the southern end of the road by a condition in its planning permission.

But now they are bidding to get this and other restrictions removed, much to the shock of residents.

As well as being allowed to use both ends of the road the company wants to increase the number of coaches on its site from four to five, operate between 7am and 10pm seven days a week and increase daily coach movements to and from the site to 10.

They are currently limited to operating between 7.15am and 5pm (8am-1pm on 12 Saturdays a year), with no movements on Sundays or Bank Holidays and a total of six per day.

The residents’ main concern is that letting coaches use the southern part of Nedging Road, which features narrow, 90-degree bends, would make it a dangerous place to drive and live.

Sue Corp one of the people fighting the application, said: “Our home is on a hill between two of the bends on Nedging Road. We remember well the tractor and trailer on its side in the ditch, having meet a car on the lower bend, just yards from our boundary.

“We are also aware of many near misses over the years. In winter when snowy and icy, one of my friends who visits regularly christened our end of Nedging Road ‘the most dangerous road in Suffolk’.

“If this planning permission is passed the quality of life of those living on this part of the lane will be forever altered for the worse.”

Chris Chaplin, director of Three Cs Travel, said: “I don’t think any of it is unreasonable. I wouldn’t want to put any of my vehicles on a road which is dangerous to anyone.

“I can’t understand the residents’ fears at all. I think it’s jealousy really.

“I think a lot of people have been mislead by what we want to do.

“I asked the council if we could do it on a trial basis but they said they couldn’t really change the application.

“When we first applied our contracts returned earlier than we do now. We can’t say to the customer we have to be back by four because the coach has to be (at the depot) by five.”