A campaigner has today labelled proposals to replace the double roundabout in Norwich Road, Ipswich, with a set of traffic lights as a waste of money, as she called on the county council to rethink the decision.

Work on the project, which will form part of the £21 million government-funded Travel Ipswich Programme, is expected to start this summer.

It follows the installation of traffic lights on the junction of Civic Drive and Princes Street, but people living in the area fear lights in Norwich Road will lead to major delays for motorists and cause misery for homeowners.

Sarah Wright, of High View Road, Ipswich, has launched an online petition against the plans, which has so far been signed by more than 50 people.

“There are a lot of reasons for this (the petition) but I think it is a complete waste of money,” said the 34-year-old.

“People that live near that area will all get affected by it so I just feel it’s a waste of money in a time when we are trying to save money.

“I think the double roundabout is brilliant, it works really well. It just flows. You get a little bit of a tailback during rush hour but that would be made even worse by traffic lights.

“I think they should put the money into better resources. Nobody thinks it is a good idea, I can’t see any reason to do it.”

A spokeswoman for Suffolk County Council said the work will take place between July 29 and August 30 as traffic is expected to be lighter because of school holidays.

The spokeswoman added: “The current mini double roundabout at the Norwich Road/ Chevallier Street junction is due to be changed to traffic signals to enable it to be included in the new urban traffic management scheme.”

To sign the petition, visit www.change.org and search for Norwich Road double roundabout.