A CROSS resident has branded traffic calming measures in Bromsgrove costly and unnecessary.

Graham Reddie of East Road is angered by Bromsgrove District Council's hasty decision to lay special 'Rippleprint' surfacing material without further consultation with Stoney Hill residents.

The new £40,000 traffic calming surface treatment is set to be laid in College Road, Fordhouse Road, West and North Road this week. Work is expected to take two weeks.

But Mr Reddie believes the money would be better spent on narrowing College Road and installing a speed table at the top of West Road.

"I am surprised the council have suddenly decided to go ahead with a scheme the effectiveness of which is uncertain and in advance of the volume and speed survey results they recently finished doing in this area.

"The scheme is costly and unnecessary. Quite frankly I think the council are out of their tiny minds," he said.

Residents have rejected previous options, but Worcestershire Highways Partnership in Bromsgrove manager, Jon Fraser is confident the new 15mm thick surfacing will be effective.

Tested by the Transport Research Laboratory, (TRL) the material creates noise and vibration to alert the driver while making virtually no noise outside the vehicle.

"I am confident the laying of Rippleprint will have the desired effect in reducing vehicular speed at the same time as causing little to no annoyance to residents in the vicinity," he said.

District council leader Dennis Norton (Con - Norton) added: "No alterations need to be made to the road and it is also significantly cheaper than speed humps.

"It is the first time this method has been used in Bromsgrove but it has proved popular with other authorities," he said.