The responsible Council executive member – Ian Gillies – has today thrown out plans which would have  seen use of the bus lay-bys on Thanet Road discontinued.

The plan to close the lay-by on the Rugby Club side of the road caused major concerns with drivers fearing that sight lines would be impeded by  buses parked on the highways.

There were also fears that traffic congestion would increase as would pollution levels.

The proposal was opposed by officers of the Foxwood Residents Association who argued that the plans were “over engineered” and unnecessarily expensive.

An alternative, which would have kept the  bus lay-bys together with an advisory 20 mph speed limit and guard rails to prevent children running onto the highway, was tabled by local residents.

The bus lay-bys have now been saved but additional road humps are to be installed, despite the fact that the Council has now admitted that average speeds are well below the 30 mph limit.

The Residents Association has asked that they be consulted early on when proposals like these are considered in future.