A Highbridge traffic island labled ‘Britain’s ugliest roundabout’ by local councillors was plunged into the regional spotlight on Monday (December 3rd) when ITV West’s cameras visited the site.
Burnham-On-Sea.com was first to report last week how Cllr Neville Jones, Burnham and Highbridge’s Deputy Mayor, had called the lop-sided traffic island on the Bristol Road “Britain’s ugliest roundabout.”
He and other councillors are pressing the County Council to make changes to the structure – and they have now attracted TV coverage as well.
A camera crew was in Highbridge on Monday afternoon to record the views of local residents and town clerk Eileen Shaw.
It comes after we reported that safety fears at Somerset County Council had led to proposals for colourful flowers and grass on the structure being axed, to be replaced by a poorly-designed concrete mound with a plastic bollard on top.
Last week, Cllr Neville Jones told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “This is definitely Britain’s ugliest roundabout – it’s not a good advertisement for Highbridge at all.”
“We wanted flowers and landscaping, but were told by the County Council that these would not be allowed because of safety rules. We’ve been left with a lop-sided structure that looks simply hideous.”
There is, however, a campaign to retain the unique desgn of the ‘wonkybout’ – with members of Burnham’s discussion forums leading the debate here.
A spokesman for Somerset County Council’s Highways Department explained that the authority is currently re-looking at the roundabout’s design.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The limited size of the roundabout makes soft landscaping, such as grass and flowers, inappropriate. The central raised area has been incorrectly constructed and it will be rectified in due course.”
“The priority at the time of construction was to complete the works within the assigned programme and have the roundabout operational.”
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Exclusive: Is this Britain’s ugliest roundabout?
