FAMILIES living close to Liverpool's busy Edge Lane were gearing up for a fight last night after councillors gave the go-ahead to a £40m road widening scheme.
Despite pleas by local people and their three councillors, the council's planning committee voted by a majority to approve the road scheme.
The battle will now switch to a proposed public inquiry next month to decide whether compulsory purchase orders should be confirmed.
When the plans were first published horrified residents drew up their own alternative road scheme.
They claimed their plans would require the demolition of just three properties, unlike the official road-widening scheme that will see more than 300 homes and businesses disappear.
Cllrs Frank Doran, Richard Marbrow and Jimmy Kendrick all attended the planning committee meeting to support residents in their opposition.
Cllr Marbrow said: "We are disappointed by the decision. I believe there was room for compromise to meet some of the points raised by local people."
The city council's executive board has approved an extra £5m for the project - £2m from city taxpayers, the rest from the Northwest Development Agency - to meet the cost of the property buy-up because of spiralling prices.
One of the leading campaigners, local resident Elizabeth Pascoe, said: "We are going to contest the CPO so the price difference makes no difference. Some of us would not sell our homes for a million."
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