Calls for action over gridlock

Urgent action has been demanded on roads close to Cannock town centre because the strain being put on them is becoming intolerable, it has been claimed.

Councillor Gordon Alcott, who represents Cannock North ward, made a string of suggestions to tackle the concerns. They included the possibility of widening the road in front of Cannock Chase Hospital and putting an extra tier of parking for hospital patients. He made the suggestions after Staffordshire County Council revealed it was conducting surveys.

The studies were taking in the Beecroft and Brunswick Road areas with a view to introducing a traffic management plan.

Councillor Alcott said a plan could be drawn up if health bosses, Cannock Chase Council and Staffordshire County Council all worked together.

Blue badge holders can park on the double yellow lines outside the hospital but this often causes a bottleneck at the Brunswick Road junction with Beecroft Road.

Councillor Alcott said: "Part of the district council's land between Brunswick Road and the civic offices could be used to widen Brunswick Road carriageway and then the area where they already park could instead become a parking bay."

He said restrictions should also be enforced there so that only severely disabled blue badge holders who were also exempt from paying road tax could park there to stop it being misused.

Councillor Alcott said further strain was being put on Brunswick Road from drivers who turned down there from Pye Green Road to get to the town centre.

He said: "They avoid having to try and get out onto the Stafford Road junction. That junction is absolute chaos at peak times. There is the land available on that junction to put in an island which would keep the traffic moving."

A spokesman for Staffordshire County Council said it was using the information from the traffic surveys to look at pulling together a traffic management plan.