A public exhibition is to be set up to find a solution to the accident blackspot at Foley Corner, High Garrett, in Braintree.

Councillors at Braintree District Council's Braintree area committee last week rejected Essex County Council recommendations that, following further consultation with local people, traffic lights be set up as soon as possible at the junction of the A131 and A1017.

There were seven accidents causing injury at the junction from January 1996 to December last year, the committee heard, while a highways department survey has shown almost 600 vehicles using the junction during a 12-hour period.

From last October to March this year there have been three slight personal injury accidents recorded.

Local residents fear that traffic lights and accompanying signs, would detract from the local environment .

Demanding that residents' views be taken into full account, Cllr David Mann said that local people would prefer a roundabout - whether full-size or mini - to traffic lights.

"Road safety has got to be paramount but residents have got to be convinced that they are not being fobbed off on cost grounds. We need to be talking to local people and road users about the best way to manage this junction."

An officers' report estimates the cost of traffic lights at £60,000 with a full-size roundabout costing around £150,000.

Cllr Barbara Buchan supported Mr Mann's call for a public exhibition as part of a full public consultation initiative.

"It is ridiculous that that the only choice local people are getting over this are what colour the traffic lights will be."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.