Residents have reacted angrily to a new £7million plan to ease Colchester’s congestion crisis.

Essex County Council unveiled plans last week to introduce new cycle and walking routes in a bid to cut traffic and improve air quality in the town.

Plans include a cycle way from north to south along Mile End Road to Butt Road, as well as a west-to-east route from Spring Lane to East Hill.

But Colchester High Steward Sir Bob Russell, who has campaigned against plans to impose a bus gate at North Station Road, voiced his staunch opposition to the plans by labelling them “stupid”.

He said: “The utter stupidity of the proposals drawn up by Highways people at County Hall can still be stopped if people make strong representations to their councillors.

“We have already seen how the half-baked schemes introduced about 20 months ago have caused serious congestion problems at the Headgate entrance into the town centre from Southway and also around the railway bridge at North Station.

“These latest proposals will make the situation even worse – they will add to congestion, they will lengthen journey times, they will increase pollution, they will be a massive inconvenience to residents.”

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But Sir Bob was not the only person to be disappointed with the plans.

Gazette reader Paul Oliver commented: “Is the council so out of touch they cannot see what is wrong?

“The roads have so many potholes that they are dangerous to all, while the lanes introduced in town are empty, but the congestion has become ridiculous.

“At the same time there is no secure parking for cycles and cycle thefts are regular occurrences.”

James Collitt added: “What an absolute waste of money – yet another vanity project.

“What consultation has taken place? The Mile End cycle lane was £700,000 down the drain – nobody uses it.”

Defending the plans, councillor Sue Lissimore, chairwoman of the Colchester Active Travel Fund, said: “We acknowledge there were concerns expressed about some elements of our proposals.

“However, those of us who can need to change the way we use our streets.”