1,600 sign petition against lights

More than 1,500 traders and residents are opposing plans for traffic lights which they fear will bring rush-hour chaos to Kidderminster.

Around 1,600 people have signed a petition calling for Worcestershire County Council to scrap the proposed scheme on Comberton Hill.

And campaigners today vowed to step up their fight to get more people in the town involved.

The traffic lights are part of £3.5 million plans to revamp Kidderminster Railway Station and designed to improve access to the site. But residents and traders say they are unnecessary and would bring traffic to a standstill causing gridlock around the entire town centre.

Business bosses have also been left fuming as parking spaces directly outside shops would be lost under the new road scheme. They say it would kill passing trade. Consultation on the development, including the lights scheme, is already underway.

Campaigner Nigel Ash, who runs the Captain Cod fish bar, said: "We already have around 1,600 names on the petition and are holding out a little longer to get more. This scheme has caused a lot of concern to people living and working on Comberton Hill.

"This road is already busy at rush-hour at the best of times and these lights will only make the situation worse.

"We are concerned it will lead to gridlock in the town centre every single rush-hour. Removing the parking spaces is also a worry for us as they are well used by customers.

"We cannot understand why this part of the scheme has been put forward. It will only make things worse not better."

Mr Ash said they would be handing the petition in to Worcestershire County Council in the near future..

But he wanted to ensure people had enough opportunity to sign the document and make their thoughts on the scheme known.

"We cannot understand why the lights have been put forward as part of the scheme. It will only make things worse not better."