NEWLY installed traffic lights have been creating total and utter chaos according to members of Dunmow s Traffic Management Group. The lights, on the White Hart Way junction with Dunmow s High Street, have been met with fierce criticism ever since they

NEWLY installed traffic lights have been creating "total and utter chaos" according to members of Dunmow's Traffic Management Group.

The lights, on the White Hart Way junction with Dunmow's High Street, have been met with fierce criticism ever since they were installed at the end of last year.

And now it has emerged that one light is in-fact missing and is at fault for causing confusion for motorists - sparking off a review process.

Essex county council highways officer Chris Stoneham said: "We are looking at relocating a signal head to improve the junction - at the moment it is under review.

"We obviously would like to make sure everything is running smoothly before it is running at full capacity."

Before the lights were put in place, a bus stop and several parking spaces were removed as the road was widened to make room for a right-hand turn lane.

But angry councillors and shopkeepers have piled on the pressure for a better solution saying that the bus stop outside the One Stop shop needs to be relocated and the lights set up correctly.

Dunmow town councillor Phil Milne is one member of the group.

He said: "The whole thing is a nightmare, I spent week observing what goes on at that junction and to be honest I'm shocked.

"Cars have to weave around busses and parked cars before arriving at the lights and then not being able to see if they are red or green.

He added: "Vehicles that filter right towards White Street get to the middle of the junction only to find that the lights change and cars are suddenly coming straight at them.

"Also cars get stuck half way between the sets of lights because they are not set up correctly. All of the traffic gets pushed over to filter lane anyway. The whole thing is astounding."

As a result of the many complaints, and as part of the original planning design - the bus stop is set to move further away from the lights to allow more space.

However, the actual spot is yet to be decided and according to Chamber of Trade chairman, Mike Perry, one thing is for certain - shopkeepers do not want to lose any more parking spaces as a result.

Mr Perry said: "A mini roundabout would have been fine in that spot, it works at the other end of town. Traffic is increasing through the High Street and becoming continuous during the day - so the problem will just get worse.

"Getting rid of the post office bus stop and the parking bays seems to have changed people's attitudes and not being able to get around, or into, town is killing off traders."

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