A plan to try to improve the traffic flow into Coalville by removing chicanes from a main road has been approved.

Highways officials say the traffic calming measures along Ashby Road are not doing their job properly and are actually causing congestion and pollution.

On Tuesday night North West Leicestershire District Council gave the go-ahead for a £350,000 package of measures designed to make it easier to get in and out of town by car along the stretch of Ashby Road from its junctions with Ravenstone Road and Belvoir Road.

The decision allows highways engineers from Leicestershire County Council, which is funding half the cost of the scheme, to start work as soon as it is practical.

It will see chicanes and ‘build-outs’ into the carriageway removed.

The councils say in peak periods, delays cause drivers to pull out around buildouts, to speed dangerously between them and to ignore priorities at mini-roundabouts.

Officials also say large vehicles struggle to manoeuvre, and buses navigating them can prevent oncoming vehicles from making progress.

District council planning and infrastructure spokesman councillor Robert Ashman told LeicestershireLive.

“Ashby Road gets very congested at the moment and that causes real problems for the people who live along it and the businesses based there.

“Part of the problem is the existing traffic calming slowing things down so much when at the same time some cars speed up through them to try to get through when they should be giving way.

“What we and the county council are trying to do is to improve the traffic flow into Coalville town centre because that will benefit everybody.”

The district council carried out a consultation on the plans in January and 68 per cent of people who responded said they agreed with the proposals but there were concerns that removing the chicanes would actually open up the road for dangerous speeding.

Coun Ashman said: “We do not want that to happen so the county council is to bring in a 20mph advisory speed limit and there is the possibility in the future that we could put in traffic humps if they are needed.”

The works will also see an extra 14 on-street parking spaces created.