VILLAGERS living on the outskirts of Weston are predicting traffic chaos when 12,000 new homes planned for the town are developed. The houses have been allocated by the Government and 9,000 will be built on brownfield sites such as RAF Locking and the for

VILLAGERS living on the outskirts of Weston are predicting traffic chaos when 12,000 new homes planned for the town are developed.The houses have been allocated by the Government and 9,000 will be built on brownfield sites such as RAF Locking and the former airfield, as well as 150 each year in the resort between 2011 and 2026.But Graham Found, of the Five Villages Traffic Group, which includes Banwell, Hutton, Locking, Winscombe and Churchill, believes any development will cause gridlock in outlying areas.Mr Found said: "People who commute to South Bristol from Weston are already going through Banwell and taking short cuts through Hutton because it's quicker than queuing to get on the motorway."All the villagers are very concerned because there is no way of stopping traffic coming through the villages. "We are concerned that there's still no provision for improving transport links in and out of Weston as the growth takes place and the council won't be able to attract employers because of the traffic." The housing proposals are being drawn up as part of the Weston Area Action Plan and are due to be completed by 2008, along with schemes to attract more employers to the area. But the chairman of Locking Parish Council, Noel Walter, agrees the developments will clog up the already busy roads.He said: "The new homes will produce about 18,000 job seekers and there won't be enough jobs here so commuting is going to increase. It's going to be absolute chaos on the roads, particularly in the five villages. "The Government is trying to spread the population around a bit but in time you won't be able to find any green fields in England because they'll all be built on."But North Somerset Council has said that community development and employment will be its first priority.A spokesman said: "The plan will help make sure development in the town happens in the best place, in the right order with the appropriate infrastructure for roads, transport, schools and public spaces. "The employment-led regeneration in Weston may have an effect on surrounding areas, but the plan looks to manage this in a sustainable and planned way.