PEOPLE in St Peter's, Worcester, could face a long wait for a new pedestrian crossing because Worcestershire County Council hasn't got the money to pay for it.

At this week's St Peter's parish council meeting, Worcester city councillor Roger Knight said that for years, the council had wanted two pedestrian crossings in St Peter's Drive, one near Farne Avenue and the other near the Old Norton Road.

He said the second site was an ideal location because of high levels of traffic, but due to financial pressures, the county council was unlikely to install it until 2008, even with a £15,000 contribution from the parish council.

Coun Knight said that after an investigation, the county council felt Farne Avenue was unsuitable because of visibility problems and high traffic speed - a decision he described as disappointing because it meant it was a dangerous place to cross.

"There's currently a stepped-out section of the footway which could be considered an invitation to cross."

He said he was also puzzled by the predicted cost of a crossing, which he said had trebled.

He said: "Years ago, when we first looked at a controlled crossing, the price seemed to be about £25,000. Then, at a later point, that became £40,000 and the latest quote to install a controlled crossing is £70,000. For the life of me I can't understand how it can cost so much."

At December's parish council meeting, Tom Comerford, senior district liaison engineer for Worcestershire, said a zebra crossing near Farne Avenue. would probably cost £30,000.

A county council spokeswoman said: "We have visited both sites to assess their suitability. We have reached the decision that a crossing cannot be created at Farne Road as it would not satisfy safety criteria.

"A toucan crossing, for pedestrians and cyclists, is possible at the junction with Old Norton Road, but we are unable to fund it this financial year."

She added the £70,000 quoted would be the cost of a toucan crossing, not a zebra crossing.