Residents fear units are threat to safety

Stroud District Council planners last month agreed the application for three light industrial units on land next to Abbey Mills trading estate.

But residents in Charfield Road, who have long been campaigning for a footway, say the promise of a 60-metre stretch of path as one of the conditions of planning consent offers little consolation.

Resident Lin Williams said it would not make the trip to the centre of the village much safer.

"It will offer a small breather as you go along the road," she added. "But you can see just by looking at the side of the verge and the tyre marks on there just how many near-misses there have been."

Mrs Williams said the Charfield Road situation had led to many villagers feeling isolated.

She explained: "So much has changed in the village and it is a lovely, lively village but the road it lethal. We can't go out and talk to our neighbours, can't walk safely into the centre and any efforts we have made to get a footpath have not been realised."

A campaign last year to persuade Gloucestershire County Council to install footpath failed due to a lack of funding.

"It has been made perfectly clear to us that there is not enough money for the hugely expensive path," added Mrs Williams. "We now feel like we are banging our heads against a brick wall and many people think it is pointless trying to appeal against these applications."

Mrs Williams said people had lost faith in their ability to object to planning applications.

"We have had so many disappointments that people not think it is not worth appealing against these applications as they will go ahead anyway - just like this latest application did."

There are also fears that the latest consent will bring more heavy goods vehicles.

Mrs Williams added: "It is very worrying as the amount of large vehicles entering the village increases so does the risk from the road."