Controversial plans to build a new roundabout at a busy road junction in Burnham-On-Sea have this week been attacked by residents living in the area.
Somerset County Council wants to construct a mini roundabout, plus a new pedestrian crossing, at the junction of Pepperall Road and Burnham Road.
The junction is already busy during the daytime with large amounts of traffic visiting the nearby Highbridge Medical Centre in Pepperall Road and local schools. And it is set to become even busier with the completion of the Frank Foley Parkway later this summer and the development of new housing at the former radio station site.
Highbridge County Councillor Rose Parsons unveiled the plans at Monday’s town council meeting, saying they are “badly needed at what is a dangerous road junction.”
Cllr Neville Jones gave a caution welcome to the proposals, saying: “We’ve been calling for changes here for a long time – this shows those calls have not fallen on deaf ears.”
But local residents have already called for a re-think on the scheme by voicing their fears about the removal of car parking.
Sheri Farrow told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “As a resident of Burnham Road, my house value will drop substantially as I will have no parking. I will not even be able to park on Pepperall Road. Where will all the residents park their cars?”
“The residents further up Burnham Road know nothing about these proposed changes yet, until we all start parking our cars outside their houses!”
Burnham-On-Sea.com first highlighted safety at the junction last year when local resident Terence William called for a pedestrian crossing at the location.
