HIGHWAYS chiefs say there is little chance of any action to alleviate problems in a Felixstowe street used as a rat run by motorists avoiding traffic calming in a neighbouring road.

HIGHWAYS chiefs say there is little chance of any action to alleviate problems in a Felixstowe street used as a rat run by motorists avoiding traffic calming in a neighbouring road.

They have been unsuccessful in a bid for funding for an “anxiety relief scheme” for King Street in Walton and say money is not likely to come from the local transport plan budget either.

County council officers told Felixstowe highways advisory committee it was “difficult to attract funding for relatively expensive schemes that do not have proved problems to solve” and so funding was unlikely in the foreseeable future.

The result has left residents and councillors bitterly upset.

Town and district councillor Mike Deacon said: “I am very disappointed and I know the residents of King Street will be disappointed, too.

“We have not heard the last of this and we will keep on campaigning and in the meantime hope that no-one is injured.

“I am not making a fuss about nothing ­- I receive complaints about the situation in the street all the time and people are very worried about speeding cars along there and parking problems.”

Householders in King Street voiced their fears at a public meeting that it would only be a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured.

The situation in the road, which runs between Seaton Road and High Street, has got progressively worse over the past 15 years since road humps were put in Maidstone Road, causing people to avoid that street.

Three solutions have previously been identified - closure of the road at one end, stopping it up in the middle to make it access only, and traffic calming. A 20mph speed limit has also been suggested.

Town and county councillor John Goodwin said the problem was a lack of evidence to justify the highways department spending money on the street.

“The road is perceived to be dangerous but we do not have any evidence to show it is actually dangerous - we need this to be proven before money can be spent on a solution, especially when there are many other roads across the county where that need is already proven,” he said.

“If there was a history of accidents we would be able to put a case.”

There is also concern any scheme in King Street will push similar problems on to other roads.

What would solve King Street's problems? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk