Colehill Parish Council Claim No Chaos At Canford Bottom Roundabout

Just days into the start of a thirty-four week scheme to radically change the Canford Bottom Roundabout Colehill Parish Councillor KD Johnson claims the works haven't yet caused any chaos for road users, residents or businesses. However, the reality for those that use the roundabout on a daily basis couldn't be more different.

After popping down the road to check daily I can confirm nothing much has been going on except cones appearing all around the roundabout filing the traffic into one lane and the existing three lane road markings being removed. As far as I can see no actual digging has started and to be honest that's when the trouble is really going to begin.

But despite this I'm still getting reports of lengthier traffic queues and longer waiting times, as traffic is shoehorned into the one lane bottleneck the roundabout has now come. Most locals are already avoiding the roundabout altogether, using the back roads instead. Even with locals avoiding it motorists using the roundabout are still experiencing elevated congestion and when the first night works start on the 24th October the real impact on local residents will be known. I've already bought my earplugs.

The Parish Council have also written to the Highways Agency pointing out that local people strongly oppose the £5.7 million project (too little, too late), asking to be kept up to date with any traffic arrangements. I suggest the Councillors get off their seats, get out of their offices and come down to the roundabout and check for themselves. In fact I challenge them to drive around it every day at rush hour and then try and persuade local residents chaos hasn't yet started.