TOWN councillors say oneway systems should be introduced in Leigh to stop roads becoming gridlocked and potentially dangerous.

They are calling for changes to roads, especially those south of London Road, to ease traffic flow and improve safety.

They are planning to survey streets to see which would be most suited to a one-way system with a view urging Southend Council to implement changes.

Caroline Parker, Leigh Town Council chairman, said: “There are roads which, because of parked cars, two cars can’t pass each other. One has to reverse all the way up the road, which can be quite dangerous, especially as roads off Pall Mall are on a incline.

“The roads are also near Leigh North Street Junior School.

“The roads are terrible. Sometimes I could walk down them more quickly than I could drive.

“They are reaching gridlock and something needs to be done.”

Town councillor Donald Fraser, a transport and highways committee member, added oneway systems work well in Westcliff and could be expanded.

Town clerk Paul Beckerson said: “It’s mainly people who use the roads as a cut through, not the residents themselves, who often can’t park outside their own houses.”

Leigh councillor Peter Wexham said Southend Council was already aware of the issues.

He added: “There are certainly problems all the way along there from Leigh Road to London Road because cars are parked both sides. They get blocked up, and Southend Council is looking at introducing one way systems.

“It should be up to the residents there to say whether they want them or not.”

Tony Cox, Southend councillor responsible for transport said the borough is open to listening to suggestions from anyone on the issue.

Leigh town councillors identified roads including Victoria Drive, Torquay Drive, Dawlish Drive, Fernleigh Drive, and Dundonald Drive, as those which possibly need one-way systems.

But it emerged yesterday that Southend Council was about to announce its intention to bring in such schemes in nearby Southsea Avenue and Leighville Grove.

It shelved a possible plan to do the same in Lymington Avenue after a large proportion of residents did not want it.

A decision will be made on Southsea Avenue and Leighville Grove at a meeting of Southend Council’s traffic and parking working party, on March 13.

Laura Hoile, 46, of Torquay Drive, Leigh, said: “No way do I want a one-way system.

“It would be a nightmare. I don’t like not being able to drive both ways along a road.

“It is very irritating and only people with local knowledge will know if they can only go down this road and not the next one.

“I have an off-road parking space.

“I do have people parking across it, which is a problem, but a one-way system would not make any difference to that.”

David Rummey, 61, of Dawlish Drive, Leigh, said: “I would go with a one-way system.

“It is difficult parking outside your own house and a one-way system might do the trick.

“Traffic and parking problems have been getting worse.

“We also have traffic problems from vans and other larger vehicles on the road that people use for work and bring home.”