Halstead Trinity Street roundabout raising concerns

The mini roundabout at the junction of Trinity Street and Kings Road is a congestion hot spot.

Paul Nunn, who lives near the roundabout said: "About a year ago, a lorry knocked down a give way for roundabout sign.

"Virtually all the white lines have faded.

"If you're coming into Halstead and not familiar, there's no indication as a driver to say it's a roundabout."

Paul contacted Essex Highways to raise his concerns over drivers' safety and to prevent possible accidents.

He said he was "taken aback" by the response he received.

At the time, Essex Highways said: “We have investigated and risk-assessed this issue.

"Our recent inspection of this issue has prioritised it as not as serious as some of the other defects we are aware of, so we have recorded it and will consider it when we are planning future works in the area.

Highlighted - Trinity Street roundabout (Image: Submitted)

“This does not mean the issue is not important to us. We will repair it just as soon as is humanly possible given the restraints explained.”

The Gazette has also asked Essex Highways for an updated comment.

A spokesman from Essex Highways said: “In order to maximise our resources, we have to prioritise and schedule our work and fix the most urgent issues first.

“All defects reported to us are assessed by an inspector and prioritised accordingly. Members of the public can report any issues with our online report it tool.

“Additionally, information about our repair criteria and maintenance strategy can be found on our website.”

This is not the only issue faced by Trinity Street in recent months.

In August 2023, it was reported Halstead Town Council was set to apply for road restrictions in a bid to ban daytime parking in Trinity Street.

Drivers faced being banned from parking outside Halstead Public Gardens to help ease the town’s traffic woes.

The ban would prevent parking in Trinity Street between 7am and 7pm, to stop parking at busy times, but to allow residents to park in the evenings and overnight.

Speaking at the time, in reference to congestion, the town council said Trinity Street is a “high priority route”, shown by reports of congestion especially during peak commuter periods, including issues relating to buses stopping at the bus stop.

The council also says there is increased traffic due to hundreds of new homes being built in the town over recent years.

Safety - Trinity Street roundabout (Image: Submitted)

The council added it had received individual complaints about “congestion and lack of safe places to cross due to obstructed vision, as well as egress from Kings Road to Trinity Street given poor visibility”.