Support for the scrapping of a controversial traffic ‘build-out’ in Sutton is gathering momentum in the shape of a new petition.

The build-out, located in Ely Road, reduces two lanes of traffic into one and gives right of way to vehicles leaving the village.

The unpopular feature was introduced to control the speed of vehicles entering the village more than five years ago but now Sutton Parish Council is applying to Cambridgeshire County Council to have it taken out and replaced.

And their call is being backed by Sutton residents, who have signed a petition in their dozens to add weight to the parish council’s bid.

Since it was started on Janurary 2 the petition, launched by Cllr Mark Inskip, has attracted almost 90 signatures who have called on the county council to “support Sutton Paris Council’s bid to replace the build out”.

Cllr Philip Read, district and county councillor for Sutton, said he would be supporting the parish in its application to the county council to remove it.

He said: “I didn’t agree with it when it was first put in, it’s a nuisance. I have seen cars backed up right the way to the roundabout on some occasions and quite often motorists will try and jump out before an oncoming car arrives. It’s dangerous.”

Cllr Read added that his preferred replacement for the build-out would be a chicane, which would reduce the speed of HGVs coming into the village but not unduly impede cars.

The parish council agreed unanimously at its November meeting to apply to the county council’s local highway improvement fund for 2014/15 to have the feature replaced. It agreed to commit up to £1,000 towards the cost of the work.

View the petition at: http://epetition.cambridgeshire.public-i.tv/epetition_core/view/ElyRdBO