NEW early morning admission times for traders setting up at the Three Counties Showground have been thrashed out following concerns over traffic noise.

Homeowners in villages along the route from the M5 and M50 to the showground are frustrated at being woken as early as 4am by traders keen to get an early start at events.

But at a meeting last Friday between Three Counties Agricultural Society chief executive Chris Milne, Worcestershire county councillor Tom Wells and Hanley Castle resident Tony Addison, it was agreed that from January traders will not be given entry to the ground until 7.30am.

Mr Addison said: "Most of the hassle was from about 5.30am but there were a number of things that went through the night.

"I kept a diary of when I got woken up and went through that with Chris Milne. On average, traffic wakes us at least twice a month as early as 4.30am.

"Hopefully, this will be the answer. It's still slightly outside the ground's control because it's not the Three Counties who have direct control - they need to get the event organisers to make it happen - but it's certainly a step in the right direction."

Mr Addison was responsible for gathering a petition of signatures which stated that while Hanley Castle and Robert's End villagers applauded the ground's success, there needed to be a balance between that and residential environmental needs.

Coun Tom Wells said: "We might have gone some way to finding that balance because it's now been agreed that next year, every contract, every event, will be required to make sure that no one should arrive before 7.30am.

"That's some progress. It won't improve traffic progress during the day but it will at least allow people a good night's sleep without the roar of traffic past their door. We will monitor how it works."

Chris Milne said: "We are trying to work together and co-operate."