Campaigners for an east Suffolk relief road have called for a “major shake up” to ensure their demands are not left by the wayside.

%image(15451667, type="article-full", alt="The proposed route of the "D2" relief road. Credit: Google Maps.")

Villagers in Yoxford and Middleton met with their MP Therese Coffey yesterday to highlight concerns about the possible use of the B1122 during the construction of Sizewell C, which they fear will place intolerable strains on the minor road.

Yoxford councillor Tony Middleditch told Dr Coffey his community would be one of the worst affected by the construction and yet its calls for a relief road had been superseded by the campaign to bypass Marlesford, Little Glemham, Stratford St Andrew and Farnham.

He said: “I believe we have an even stronger case than the four villages bypass and yet we don’t seem to be getting support from anybody.”

Roy Dowding, chairman of the B1122 Action Group, said the route had been ill-equipped to deal with the construction traffic involved in Sizewell B and was even less suitable for the greater volumes posed by Sizewell C.

His group is calling for a relief road to be built from the A12 south of Saxmundham linking with Sizewell and avoiding the B1122 altogether.

This “D2” route was first proposed during the construction of Sizewell B and Mr Dowding says it remains the best option today.

“If the B1122 was a question mark for Sizewell B it’s an absolute no-no for Sizewell C,” he added.

“But the D2 route is still there as a concept, it’s ready to roll and it makes even more sense today than it did back then.”

The route, estimated to cost around £55million, would avoid the need to spend more than £20m improving the B1122 and further £7m on roundabout at its junction with the A12 in Yoxford.

Mr Dowding said this proposal, which is deeply unpopular in the village, would leave the A12 gridlocked on a daily basis throughout the eight year construction period.

He is calling for a “major shake up” at the county council and for Dr Coffey to back their plans with the same energy she showed when opposing the tolling of the A14.

Dr Coffey agreed to press the case on their behalf.

She said: “I think it makers sense to have the D2 relief road and I will continue to make that point on behalf of the people in these villagers.

“We need to be thinking about traffic all along the A12 not just the four villages bypass.”

Suffolk County Council said EDF’s proposals for improving the roads to be used for construction traffic for Sizewell C were “totally inadequate” and it had commissioned transport advisers to recommend alternatives.

“We are in agreement with the local parishes that EDF’s stage two proposals must be much improved,” a spokesman said.

EDF said it was aware of the B1122 concerns and would consider these issues when it releases more detailed proposals in the next stage of its consultation.