ANGRY Bromsgrove residents have branded proposed traffic improvements to Barley Mow Lane as a complete waste of money.

Worcestershire highway chiefs want to install a new right hand turn in Barley Mow Lane as a bid to ease traffic congestion.

But unhappy resident Gareth Holden who lives on Birmingham Road insists the plans are unwanted and claimed: "Traffic congestion during rush hour down Barley Mow Lane simply does not occur due to traffic turning right.

"But county highways seem to want to push more traffic down Barley Mow Lane, which is a bad idea as you've already got cars parked on either side of the road and it would only make the situation worse.

"I've got the impression that the highways have some money that they need to use but it could be much better spent elsewhere.

"I've spoken to District Councillor Shirley Webb who lives nearby in Golden Cross Lane and she's in full agreement.

"But when she tried to bring the matter up, it seems as though the highways department are turning a blind eye.

"It's clear when going onto social media that other people feel the same way.

"But what makes it worse is the fact there's been no consultation with the residents. The highways department have treated the people it affects with complete disregard and they haven't told us their plans for what is happening, which appears to me somewhat underhanded."

But Worcestershire highways have replied to Mr Holden by saying: "The need to improve the A38 was identified in Scheme NEST2.

"Whilst the NEST2 scheme does not specifically identify the proposed junction improvement at Barley Mow Lane, it does highlight the strategic aim to improve the A38 corridor from Lydiate Ash to Hanbury Turn.

"The scheme includes a series of junction enhancements where delay and congestion is currently experienced and where conditions are predicted to deteriorate further without intervention.

"Although I note your observations that you do not consider there are issues with southbound through traffic being held up by vehicles queuing to make the right turn into Barley Mow Lane at present, traffic modelling forecasts, following a methodology approved by Highways England, suggest it will become a significant issue in the future as traffic volumes continue to grow."