Traffic lights still a headache for drivers (From Salisbury Journal)

Traffic lights still a headache for drivers

11:37am Thursday 1st October 2009 in News By Annie Riddle

FIVE months after it promised to sort out troublesome traffic lights at Old Sarum, Wiltshire Council has failed to do so.

Campaigners say their protests to the council have “disappeared into a black hole” and been ignored.

The two sets of lights on the Portway were installed to serve a housing development not yet built.

Frustrated motorists have to queue needlessly while they are on red. Jumping the lights is common, but police have been intervening.

Lorry drivers now avoid the Portway and go through the Winterbournes instead, adding to the villages’ traffic problems.

Wiltshire Council officer, Ian Postlethwaite, promised action on the lights in April, after five months of complaints from Winterbourne parish council and the Bourne Valley Alliance of parishes, which represents 3,500 residents. The protests were backed by MP Robert Key and by a petition from businesses at Old Sarum Park.

But Tony Atkinson, chairman of Winterbourne parish council, said nothing has happened and further correspondence has not been answered.

He said: “This is intolerable. The situation needs to be remedied before October 1 when the road between Porton Down and the Pheasant pub on the A30 will be closed for approximately six months for resurfacing, which will further exacerbate traffic flow through the Winterbournes.”

Stan Stubbs, chairman of the alliance said: “We are being ignored. The council has this slogan ‘Where Everybody Matters’. It’s a joke.” Mr Stubbs, who also chaired Wiltshire Council’s Amesbury pilot area board, added: “I am getting very disillusioned with the unitary set-up.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “"We apologise for the delay, and would like to assure people we are aware of their concerns and will take the matter to the portfolio holder as soon as possible."