news story

21st February 2006

MP & Councillors Call for "heads To Roll" Over Continuing Falfield Traffic Lights Fiasco

Northavon MP Steve Webb has written a letter of protest to the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, following the latest episode in the ongoing saga of the traffic lights at the Junction 14 of the M5 at Falfield.

The lights, which were installed by the Highways Agency at a cost of around three quarters of a million pounds, are still not functioning properly. On Monday they were switched on in error during the morning rush hour, creating chaos.

Steve Webb was immediately inundated by e-mails from constituents who had had nightmare journeys. One Charfield resident said it had taken him forty minutes to drive the two and a half miles from his home to the motorway junction. Another said it had taken twenty five minutes to drive the 400 yards from Leyhill to the traffic lights.

Now Steve Webb has written to the Secretary of State condemning the "fiasco" over the lights and urging him to investigate to make sure that someone at the Highways Agency is held to account for what has happened.

Steve Webb said:

"Local people have started calling these the 'million pound lights', and the way things are going that is how much of our money will have been wasted. These were lights that virtually no-one wanted and which seem to achieve no useful purpose.

"The fact that the Highways Agency are still planning 24 hour operation of the lights will fill local people with horror. It is time to stop pouring good money after bad. Head should roll over this shocking waste of taxpayers' money by the Highways Agency".

The MP has been backed in his call by Thornbury North councillor Clare Fardell, whose ward includes Falfield. She said:

"The junction that really needs attention is the junction with the A38, but it will be impossible to come up with sensible plans until the Highways Agency stops messing around with the motorway junction. This needs sorting out once and for all".