A Sudbury residents group is crowdfunding to make a computer-generated animation of a proposed bypass in the town to give people more information on the project.

The Sandy Lane Area and Action Group wants to employ a computer graphics arts specialist via a design website to visualise the route using Google Maps and existing material published by Suffolk County Council.

The group says the project is neither for or against the bypass, but wants to aid stakeholders to have a more informed debate, stimulate discussion, and raise design awareness.

The proposed bypass has so far divided opinion, with petitions for and against the multi-million pound project.

The crowdfunding page – which has an image and quote from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: “The world is about to be demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass” – is aiming to raise £400.

The page reads: “Having invested well over £100k of council tax (and business rates) payers money in a feasibility study, local politicians are actively soliciting support from Sudbury residents for the Sudbury western bypass which crosses the historic water meadows.

“But in an age of cheap visulaization we don’t have a clue what it will look like and how it may impact the environment.

“The visualisation can work as an aid to further the debate and enable all stakeholders to make better judgements on a more informed basis.”

Anyone wishing to donate, can visit the crowdfunding page here.

Meanwhile, former mayor of Sudbury Jack Owen has put his backing behind the bypass scheme, and says he would be interested to hear from anyone who has alternatives which can solve the town’s traffic problems.

The Suffolk County councillor said: “Let me make it perfectly clear, if there was any suggestion that the route would take it across our water meadows then I would be the first to object, but that isn’t the case.

“Let us examine the facts, there has been no decision where it would go, that would be a subject of public consultation.

“The original ‘corridor’ was beyond the sewage works, AFC Sudbury football ground, Brundon Mill and Brundon Farm, about three quarters of a mile from both Cross Street and Ballingdon Street and would not be seen by residents living in those streets. It is totally misleading to state otherwise.

“The two surveys carried out – one in 2003 and the other one recently – prove beyond any doubt that a considerable number of the heavy goods vehicles that have no need to come through the town centre would avoid it if they had an alternative.

“I, too, would like traffic to use the A12 and A14 rather than come through Sudbury, but we have several industrial estates around Sudbury which rely on HGVs to deliver goods and materials and take their products away, I’m sure they would prefer not to come through the town centre given the choice.

“If anyone has an alternative that would reduce traffic, preserve many of our historical buildings, encourage industry to come to the area, reduce pollution and retain Sudbury as a viable prosperous town, then I would be interested to hear from them.

“There are plans to build thousands of new houses in and around our town over the next 20 years which will treble the misery that the traffic causes. We cannot simply ignore the problem and hope it goes away.”