A CONTROVERSIAL set of traffic lights on a Suffolk roundabout will be removed, following a successful turn-off trial.

Russell Claydon

A CONTROVERSIAL set of traffic lights on a Suffolk roundabout are to be removed, following a successful turn-off trial.

The traffic signals at the junction of the A1214 and Ropes Drive East in Kesgrave have been permanently switched off after the trial without them improved traffic flow in the area.

The go ahead to remove the lights comes after a council-led scheme to monitor traffic at the junction to judge the effectiveness of the lights.

Traffic bosses concluded the commuter route worked better without the lights and have decided not to switch them back on, but to remove them.

Guy McGregor, Suffolk County Council's portfolio holder for Roads and Transport, said: “This is a good example of us responding to the wishes of the local community. We were asked by those living in the area to improve the situation for drivers negotiating the junction and that's what we did. The evidence was clear and so we have switched this set of signals off permanently.”

But he said there were no proposals to do the same at other roundabouts with traffic lights in the county.

“There are no plans to switch off traffic signals at other roundabouts, but I have instructed our officers to monitor this situation and we will review if necessary,” he said.

The county council said a pedestrian crossing will have to be put in on the A1214 east of the roundabout to aid people, including school children, to access bus stops on the northern side of the A1214.