THE proposed new waste transfer site at Broomhills in Bridport will ‘strangle the lifeblood’ of the town and cause traffic chaos – warn business leaders and town councillors.

Dorset County Council has just re-submitted its application for the site just off the A35 and given the town council 21 days to comment on it.

At their plans meeting on Monday councillors heard objectors’ reasons for opposing the £8 million development at least 16 years in the making.

Arthur Watson, of the Riverside Restaurant in West Bay, said the resulting traffic chaos from controlling traffic with lights would ‘strangle the lifeblood’ of the town.

He said: “Tourism is one of the most important aspects of all of our lives. The thing that keeps tourism going is the A35, the main artery of supply for every element of our lives.”

Protester David Wragg said the council was quoted as saying that little had changed in the new application – but there were 270 amendments.

He said it had taken the county council six months to come up with the latest application and was only giving people less than three weeks to comment.

He said: “The county council hasn’t yet got approval from the Highways Agency of the safest way of getting in and out of the site.”

Steve Hynes former Bridport and District Tourism Association chairman from West Bay Road said: “You hear of nobody who supports these traffic lights.”

Bridport Town Councillors unanimously opposed the traffic lights – saying they would be dangerous – and were unhappy to have to comment on such a huge application in so short a time.

A Dorset County Council spokesman said: “Local people have been given the statutory 21 day period for comment and representations will be considered up to the day before the committee meeting.”