FEARS have been raised about traffic chaos in Devizes as large lorries deliver building materials to the site of new apartments for the elderly in Victoria Road.

Town councillor Nigel Carter is worried that when work starts at the end of March people living near the former Southfield care home will suffer major problems.

He said: "I can envisage large construction vehicles bringing cement, bricks, scaffolding and items of plant going up and down the road, as well as a fleet of white vans parked along the road while contractors deal with specialist jobs like glazing, electrics, decorating, special equipment fitting and so on.

"I feel that, unless the parking and general traffic movement are considered, residents as well as delivery drivers on other business in the area are in for a tough time."

He has written to Wiltshire Council's extra care housing division to voice his concerns.

Last week the council sent a letter to people living nearby to where the £9m Wiltshire Council of 47 homes plus a a restaurant, health and wellbeing suite, gardens and guest accommodation is to be built.

It said: "Now that planning permission has been granted the Council is keen to move forward to redevelop the site as quickly as possible.

"Once a contractor is selected and under contract, we will be working with them to ensure that they put in place an effective communications plan with local residents, including informing you of how they will manage key issues such as construction times, traffic and noise associated with the development.

"The selected contractor will also be required to produce a traffic management plan for the Council as part of the planning approval and this will set out how they will manage this key issue for local people."

But Coun Carter is worried the plan will not solve the problem. In a letter to the council he asked for assurance that lorries would be able to manoeuvre without danger and contractor parking would not congest the road.

Wiltshire councillor Sue Evans replied to Coun Carter saying all of the matters he had raised were in hand.

The project is expected to be finished by the end of 2016.