Concerns over traffic problems in Salisbury Road in Marlborough are mounting as work has started on the redevelopment of the former Wiltshire Council depot site.

An application was submitted to Wiltshire Council in February to build a 64-bed care home and 28 assisted living units, but the plans have not yet been approved.

Work began two months ago on demolishing the former Highway Depot, which did not require planning permission, to make way for the development proposed by Beechcroft Developments.

But residents in nearby Priorsfield are concerned about the impact that traffic using the site entrance will have on the road, especially at the pinch point where on-street parking is allowed on the west side of the main road.

Resident Jeff Green said: “We have a traffic problem now getting out of Priorsfield and that’s going to be made worse because they’ve already okayed 220 houses on the other side of the road, which is possibly 300 cars.

“Mainly you rely on people’s goodwill coming down the hill, otherwise you’d be there for ages.”

Residents are also concerned about safety, fearing that lorry drivers will cross over the give way lines at the entrance to Priorsfield to avoid cars parked on the other side of the street.

Resident Guy Sainsbury said: “I don’t think any of us are against them building something there but it’s the entrance.

“Where there is a faint white line for cars to stop, you daren’t go up to it because you’ll get killed.

“Lorries come down from Swindon and once they get past the turn to George Lane they think it’s clear now. Once they get here, the whole of the lorry comes across the white line which is our demarcation to come up to pull out. They go right across where the proposed entrance is going to be and there’s a bus stop there. I fear there is going to be calamity.”