A set of pinch points designed to replace an unpopular traffic build-out in Sutton have received a lukewarm reaction from parishioners.

Cambridgeshire County Council’s highways team designed the pinch points, to be located near Park Road and Churchill Close, as a replacement for a build-out in Ely Road, which villagers say causes traffic to build up back to the A142.

The build-out 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, at the start of the year, Sutton Parish Council applied to Cambridgeshire County Council to have it taken out and replaced.

And the council’s application was backed by Sutton residents, who signed a petition in their dozens to add weight to the bid.

But the parish council fears that the new pinch points don’t have a ‘give way’ requirement and have sought a meeting with the designer of the scheme to raise councillors’ concerns.

In an update to villagers, the council said: “The traffic management working party, who have been reviewing the new draft plans, agree that the current build out needs replacing and pointed out that the two pinch points while narrowing the road to slow down traffic are for two-way traffic.

“They therefore have no ‘give-way’ requirement for traffic coming from either direction.

“After some discussion with no decision being made, it was decided that further questions and concerns would be collated for discussion with the county highways officer who is responsible for designing the scheme.”