Worcester councillors and campaigners on Bromyard Road yellow lines fail

Yellow lines were painted on London Road and Bromyard Road in Worcester as part of a six-month trial by Worcestershire County Council which, it was hoped, would speed up traffic and reduce delays for buses using the busy city routes.

The county council has admitted the yellow lines had made “little impact” on traffic flow.

Labour county councillors Lynn Denham and Richard Udall, who had both warned last August that the temporary measures would make no difference, said the removal of the lines was a “victory for people power” and that “resident concerns had been vindicated.”

Cllr Denham said: “As councillors, the most important thing we can do is listen to the concerns of our residents and act on them accordingly,” she said.

“In advance of this trial, residents told me loud and clear that single yellow lines on London Road would bring no benefit, but would increase risk to pedestrians.

“There are several informal pedestrian crossing points on this stretch of road where children walk to and from Blessed Edwards, and inviting higher speeds was always unwise.”

Having listened carefully to officials, and to cross-party representations made on behalf of residents, I have decided that it would be appropriate to ask officers to remove the double yellow line restrictions that were placed on London Road, Worcester, as part of a trial.

— Mike Rouse (@mikerouseuk) July 19, 2022

The county council said data from the six-month trial showed the move had “not produced significant savings in vehicular journey times or reduced congestion to warrant the changes to be made permanent.”

Councillor Udall added: “Worcester Labour championed our residents in resisting this trial by every means necessary; speaking up through the consultation process, pushing back firmly but respectfully against council officers and scrutinising the data.

“We always admire the expertise provided by council officers, but there is never a substitute for the real-world knowledge that comes from forming strong relationships with residents.

“We are delighted that resident concerns have been vindicated.”

A spokesperson for the council said: “We have closely monitored the impact of the six-month experimental order for additional single yellow lines on Bromyard Road and London Road.

“We have now reviewed all the data and taken the decision, based on that information, to remove the lines as they have had little impact on traffic flows in the area.”