A BEMUSED resident is calling on Swindon Council to remove an “unnecessary” road sign that he claims could cause problems for lorries delivering to homes in Croft.

Bill Cloughton, 64, says the new sign on the junction of Croft Road and St Margaret’s Road, which warns of a low railway bridge on the other side of the estate, is a waste of money.

He says the sign wrongly suggests to drivers that the only through route is under the bridge, which is on the junction of Evelyn Street and Marlborough Road, even though they can exit via Marlborough Lane.

He also thinks the sign might be in preparation for the council’s plan to build a new school in the area.

Mr Cloughton, who has lived in Tismeads Crescent for 16 years, said: “It’s not necessary so it should be taken down. The downside is if people need deliveries from Argos or anyone who uses high-sided lorries, they are liable to not get a delivery because the lorry driver will not enter where there’s a restriction.

“In St Margaret’s Road and Winifred Street, residents wouldn’t be able to have deliveries because the lorry driver would take one look at the sign and say ‘I can’t go’, so it needs to be taken down. There is a low bridge but you don’t have to go under the low bridge.

“There’s a right hand turn before the low bridge along Marlborough Lane, which for decades has been the access route for high-sided lorries.”

Swindon Council put up the new sign on June 27 at a cost of £3,170 and Mr Cloughton, a grandfather-of-six, has spent the past few weeks contacting the council to ask members and officials to explain the rationale.

In a Freedom of Information response, Swindon Council explained that the principal traffic engineer had concerns that the previous signage did not comply with current government guidance.

The council therefore checked with the Department for Transport, which confirmed it did not comply and recommended the new signage.

However, Mr Cloughton has suggested that the installation of the sign is in readiness for Swindon Council’s project to build a new primary school near Croft Sports Centre. The project has not yet been approved.

Under the current vehicular access proposals, part of Marlborough Lane could become one-way northbound between the sports centre access road and Evelyn Street, meaning that the only exit would then be under the bridge.

Mr Cloughton said: “For decades it hasn’t been a problem and suddenly the head of traffic at Swindon Borough Council, I have been told, suddenly one morning he thought ‘I’m really worried we haven’t got any signs up’. It just doesn’t add up.

“I think it’s a complete waste of money but more importantly it’s money that’s being spent to a project that hasn’t been approved. Now personally I don’t think that’s legal, I don’t think the council are acting in a legal manner.

“They cannot spend money on a project that hasn’t passed planning.”

In an email from Coun Fionuala Foley (Con, Old Town and Lawn) to Mr Cloughton, she said: “I intend by way of this email to ask the Cabinet Lead Member Cllr Peter Greenhalgh to investigate the background to this sign.

“I would agree with your query as to why, after decades of perfect road usage, be concerned about the signage for the low bridge in Evelyn Street?”

Swindon Council and Coun Greenhalgh were all unavailable for comment yesterday.