Herts County Council (HCC) decided last night (Tuesday) to oppose plans to build a �multi-million rail flyover between Hitchin and Letchworth after a petition was handed to councillors by affected residents. Although supporting the scheme in principal, c

Herts County Council (HCC) decided last night (Tuesday) to oppose plans to build a �multi-million rail flyover between Hitchin and Letchworth after a petition was handed to councillors by affected residents.

Although supporting the scheme in principal, councillors unanimously moved to oppose the Network Rail plan on the grounds that roads in Letchworth would be inundated with construction traffic and an alternative method of moving materials should be found.

A 300-strong petition signed by residents in the Wilbury area of Letchworth influenced their decision - which follows opposition by North Herts District Council on similar grounds last week.

Stuart Pile, portfolio holder for highways and transport at county hall, said: "While we support the idea, we are concerned about the construction issue. The number of lorries is considerable and the roads are quite narrow. We want to see if they can import the material in other ways."

Today was the last day for consultees, including the local authorities, to have their say on the proposals which rail chiefs say will remove one of the worst rail bottlenecks in the country.

A decision on the plan will be made by the Department for Transport.