Villagers living near the route of the new A120 are concerned about the eroding of their rural lifestyle, a councillor has warned.

Essex County Council has announced a preferred route for the new dual carriageway to be built linking Marks Tey and Braintree.

If completed, the £550 million new road will traverse the villages of Cressing, Silver End and Rivenhall, on its way to Kelvedon.

Councillor James Abbott, whose district and county council wards cover the villages, said residents were worried about the impact of the new road.

He said: “Pretty much everyone accepts the A120 needs work, there is hardly anyone who says different.

“There are concerns about the road and the route taken but also about what comes next.

"It won’t be just the road, it will bring lots of other stuff with it.”

Mr Abbott said residents were worried the area might be unrecognisable in the near future.

“The immediate concern in Silver End is land now has plans for one of the biggest waste sites in Europe, 350 houses have been approved and there is a site of potentially another 1,800 home garden suburb.

“As district councillors we cover quite large areas and very different communities with different views.

"The overall message seems to be a feeling of uncertainty around the district.”

According to the councillor, residents were positive about the fact notorious Galleys Corner roundabout was set to go.

An Essex County Council spokesperson said: “Essex County Council announced option D as their favoured route for the A120 after extensive modelling demonstrated this route would provide the best value for money and the lowest impact on the environment.

“A new A120 would also remove traffic from local towns and villages helping protect their rural identities.”

A final decision on the route will be made by the Government and Highways England.