TEMPORARY traffic lights at the site of a new Tesco store in Kirby Cross which have caused days of gridlocks did not have a permit.

Traffic was static on Tuesday across Thorpe Road between Thorpe-le-Soken and Kirby Cross, with two-hour queues building up due to traffic lights at the new Tesco on Frinton Road.

Another road closure at Kirby-le-Soken added to the gridlock in between the two villages – with traffic issues on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Highway bosses confirmed that there was an "emergency permit" for The Street, in Kirby-le-Soken, but there was no permit for the lights on Frinton Road.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Traffic - Traffic building up again on WednesdayTraffic - Traffic building up again on Wednesday (Image: Lorne Spicer)

On Wednesday one resident told the Gazette that there “were abandoned cars along Frinton Road” due to the standstill.

Paul Clifton, a Frinton town councillor, said: “I was stuck for two hours in it myself coming home from work on Tuesday.”

“The trouble is that a few hundred yards up are a normal set of traffic lights, and them not being synced caused the issues.”

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Permitted - Essex Highways said the The Street works had an emergency permit but not the Frinton Road worksPermitted - Essex Highways said the The Street works had an emergency permit but not the Frinton Road works (Image: Lorne Spicer)

Mr Clifton said there was also problem on Wednesday but by the afternoon the road was clear outside his house.

He added: “It’s a massive problem, far and beyond, not just here, that people just set up temporary traffic lights off the cuff, saying let’s dig this road up and put traffic lights up.

“It’s caused absolute carnage.”

 

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Diversions - Diversions in place due to the road closure in Kirby-le-SokenDiversions - Diversions in place due to the road closure in Kirby-le-Soken (Image: Lorne Spicer)

A spokesman for Essex Highways said: "An emergency permit was granted to UKPN on the morning of June 4 for The Street, Kirby-le-Soken, so it could repair mains cables affecting supply to local residents.

“In the event of an emergency, utility companies are able to notify us up to two hours after their repairs begin.

The spokesman thanked residents and car users for their patience, and added: "A separate, unrelated incident on Frinton Road was the cause of congestion in the area, when a developer set up traffic lights to carry out works without holding a permit to do so.

"The traffic lights have now been taken down and we are speaking with the developer to resolve the issue as soon as possible."