Town’s confusing wonky road markings that sparked a protest conga are being scrapped
Bizarre wiggly road markings will be scrapped after racking up a £1,500,000 bill and locals' fury.
Britain’s ‘most bonkers’ road markings are being scrapped – with removal works bringing the total cost of the derided project to more than £1.5million.
The infamous wiggly lines have been slammed by locals since appearing on the seafront in Clevedon, Somerset, in January last year.
Many had no idea how to use them, leaving drivers and cyclists perplexed over where to go.
A fierce campaign launched to have them removed after the wonky markings went viral.
Locals staged a conga line protest in fancy dress on the road to ridicule the failed scheme that was designed to improve road safety.
Now the North Somerset Council has voted to remove the 400m stretch of lines.
But doing so will cost £425,000 on top of the already absurd bill.
The budget for the seafront scheme was originally £201,000, but it spiraled to £1,300,000.
However, the decision to scrap the markings is bad news for local sailors and rowers.
They are set to lose out on £50,000 earmarked for repairs to the town’s slipway as the money has been diverted to fund the removal.
Loss of the repairs means the slipway could be washed away and end centuries of boating at the Victorian seaside resort, Clevedon Sailing Club feared.
North Somerset MP Sir Liam Fox recently blamed the council for mishandling the controversial road works.
He said: ‘Clevedon Sailing Club are just one of the groups in North Somerset who are paying the price for the incompetent management of the seafront.
‘A project that nobody wanted has massively overrun its budget and now funds are being redirected from other areas to fill the gap.
‘What a disgraceful state of affairs. Who at North Somerset Council will carry the can?’
Councillors discussed the project on Wednesday at the Executive Committee.
Councillor Hannah Young said: ‘We have got to be really clear, in any schemes that we do going forward, that we are getting them as right as possible in respect of aspects of safety, and the multi-users in particular areas.
‘I think that is complex and I think there has been learning in this for everyone.’
She said it was ‘phenomenally difficult’ to find a scheme that allowed all types of road users to operate safely together.
But the council had done it with the ‘right intentions’, council leader councillor Mike Bell argued.
He said: ‘Does this mean that we will get everything right, that this is going to be perfect and that this is the ideal solution for Clevedon seafront?
‘I guarantee you that it will not be because we are never going to be perfect. But are we doing it with the right intentions?
‘Absolutely we are.’
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