Residents on new housing estates north of Didcot fear dangerous traffic fumes and accidents to cyclists and pedestrians if the county council decides today (Thursday) to introduce a one-way traffic system through an underpass.

Hundreds of people have objected to a proposed ban on northbound traffic under Cow Lane Bridge.

The county council argues that the ban is necessary as part of the next stage of the Didcot-Milton Heights link road serving the Orchard Centre development scheme in the town centre.

Town councillor Mrs Margaret Davies, who lives at Ladygrove, north of the town, said residents and town councillors would continue to fight for the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists who would suffer if the one-way order was approved.

The Ladygrove housing estates are separated from the rest of the town by the main London to Bristol railway line. At present the Cow Lane underpass - the main route to the town centre and secondary schools for people living at Ladygrove - has two-way traffic controlled by traffic lights.

In a report to the county highways sub-committee, David Young, director of environmental services, acknowledged that some people wanted the link to remain two-way, with a new junction linking the proposed new road.

"A difficult decision has to be made, given the level of objections to the Cow Lane issue," he said.

He said that progress on the much-needed redevelopment of Didcot town centre was dependent on the completion of the second stage of the link road, and it was therefore important to proceed with the building of the road without delay.

A traffic appraisal by Taylor Woodrow, the development partner of South Oxfordshire District Council for the Orchard Centre development, showed that the Cow Lane junction on to the link road with a two-way operation of the underpass would not cater for the additional traffic generated by the new Orchard Centre.

Mr Young said that if two-way traffic remained under the bridge, the result would be immediate congestion and long delays, reducing the attractiveness of the town centre.

Many residents said drivers returning to Ladygrove from the town centre would be inconvenienced by having to detour east or west of the town.

They said cyclists would be reluctant to dismount to push their cycles through the underpass - and accidents and clashes with pedestrians and people with prams sharing the narrow footway in the underpass would be inevitable.

Mrs Davies said: "Cyclists, pedestrians and drivers will also experience intolerable traffic fumes when traffic is stationary in the tunnel waiting for traffic signals to change at the new junction south of the underpass."