Roundabout traffic lights could go off at night

Labour's Daniel Cowan said that "considering these wild and dangerous ideas stretches credibility"

Traffic lights at roundabouts could be switched off during the evening and night in a bid by a council to improve efficiency.

Kevin Buck, Conservative councillor with responsibility for transport at Southend-on-Sea City Council, said the idea would be to stop people waiting at junctions for the lights to change.

Daniel Cowan, leader of the Labour Group, was critical of any plans to turn off all traffic lights at night as "each set of lights has to be considered on merit based on traffic flow, the junction complexity, and the environmental impact of changes".

Mr Buck said there were no plans to "turn traffic lights off" but the idea would be researched further.

"It’s part of junction efficiency improvements," he said.

"A lot of work would have to go into it before it was implemented.

"Traffic lights on roundabouts don’t improve traffic efficiency.

"They just, to some extent, improve overall traffic flow.

"A lot of the time they are only needed at peak times so you can end up in a situation where you could be sat at Strawberry Fields roundabout at night waiting for the lights."

Mr Cowan said: "The fact that no sooner have the Conservatives taken control of the council than they are considering these wild and dangerous ideas stretches credibility."

After the May local elections, the city council remained with no single party having a majority of seats, but the Conservatives are still the largest party with 22 out of 51 seats, and have formed a minority administration.