Traffic is to be banned from turning right on a major road in Colchester town centre in a bid to reduce congestion.

Vehicles will not be able to turn right from Magdalen Street into Wimpole Road between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, in a bid to reduce lengthy delays faced daily by motorists.

The move was approved by Colchester councillors last night despite objections from residents who fear the ban will divert cars down their roads.

They expressed concern about vehicles using Cannon Street and Artillery Street as short cuts, which are narrow and heavily parked.

Local businessman Rodney Reid, who runs a bridal shop on the corner of Magdalen Street, also addressed the meeting of the traffic management sub-committee to protest against the plans.

"This no right turn is going to affect us quite badly," he said.

"We will have to divert customers down Wimpole and Military Road which local people will not do. They will all cut down Kendall Road which is atrocious already."

He suggested the junction be replaced with a mini roundabout, which won support from Tina Cooke (Lab, East Donyland)

She said: "A mini-roundabout would be the most sensible answer. That junction is one of the worst in Colchester."

Mr Reid also claimed customers were finding it difficult to turn into his car park from Wimpole Road because of queuing traffic, a problem officers will now look into.

Vehicles will be encouraged to use Military Road once the ban is in force. However traffic surveys will be carried out in the two side roads before it is implemented and for the first six months of its operation.

Essex County Council is also planning to re-phase the signal sequence at the Magdalen Street/Wimpole Road junction and provide on-crossing detection to cancel a requested green man if the pedestrian has already crossed.

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