Baffled residents have claimed new road markings that look like ‘giant Wotsits’ are wreaking havoc on their town.
The large orange and yellow lozenge-shaped designs have been painted on to Grange Road West in the centre of Birkenhead, Merseyside, the BBC reports.
The adventurous shapes cover the pavement and half of the road, with orange planters placed on top at intervals, which will soon be joined by benches.
The overhaul, which is ongoing, comes as part of a local authority trial of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in the area, which will make the street one-way.
Wirral Council said the coloured surface and street furniture serve to ‘represent the new boundary’ between ‘an improved and widened pedestrianised area’ and the single carriageway.
It is ‘an eye-catching but straightforward way’, it added, of ‘changing the dynamics of the street without the need for major civil works’.
The hope is the road will become an enjoyable shopping street, instead of an overly busy thoroughfare, crammed with cars.
But residents are not so convinced, finding themselves scratching their heads at the town’s bold new look.
Baffled residents have claimed new road markings (pictured) that look like ‘giant Wotsits’ are wreaking havoc on their town
The large orange and yellow lozenge-shaped designs (pictured) have been painted on to Grange Road West in the centre of Birkenhead, Merseyside
One customer at the Charing Cross Pub, which sits at one end of the transformed road, said the orange blobs ‘reminds me of giant Wotsits’.
And local woman Joy Longshaw said: ‘I don’t mind a bit of psychedelia but this is a bit much.’
She said it looked messy – like if ‘Pollock and Dali had a child’ – and might make navigation hard for colour-blind or visually impaired people.
Business owner Nigel Nieto said he and others who trade on the road had little say in the rollout of the scheme.
The shopkeeper at Grange West Lighting said benches were being brought in against their wishes, fearing people would simply use them to sit and drink on.
He was not a fan of the garish design either, dubbing it too bright and incongruous with the look of the street.
And Mr Nieto raised concerns the planters will not last amid anti-social behaviour, predicting the soil and plants will simply be removed and the pots graffitied.
A fellow business owner on the street, Mike Atherton, who runs health food shop Sup Store, said: ‘I think it’s ridiculous, I have never seen anything like it.’
Other locals told the Wirral Globe the design made the street look like a ‘children’s playground’ and was ‘a waste of money’, saying ‘the council has lost the plot’.
Another went as far as to tell the publication it made the town ‘a laughing stock’: ‘It’s like they have let the kids’ nursery out and let them paint the street.’
Several business owners, meanwhile, said they had lost foot traffic amid the disruption caused by the roadworks.
Councillor Ewan Tomeny himself admitted the markings are ‘somewhat jarring’ and said he had requested a review to ensure they were done in line with original plans.
The scheme came into place after a public consultation, the findings of which were reported to the council’s environmental committee in July 2023.
And it comes amid the ongoing rollout of the council’s Birkenhead 2040 Framework, a 20-year plan to revitalise the town.
The Green representative said he understood the frustration around parts of the regeneration and emphasised the importance of it delivering on its aims.
In particular, he noted many residents and businesses, along with his party, had said they wanted Grange Road West fully pedestrianised instead of one-way.
Local woman Joy Longshaw (pictured) said: ‘I don’t mind a bit of psychedelia but this is a bit much’
A Wirral Council spokesperson said: ‘The coloured surfacing will be enhanced with street furniture such as benches [and] planters to represent the new boundary between an improved and widened pedestrianised area and the one-way single carriageway.
‘The aims of the scheme are to provide better access and connection to the shops, cafes and other services, make the area more attractive in order drive increased footfall to the businesses and improve road safety while still maintaining access for traffic.’
Residents and businesses will be able to provide feedback to the council on the LTN trial during its first six months.
Ahead of the current works, a ‘Healthy Streets’ audit was carried out on Grange Road West to examine how the street could be improved.
It was found to be performing poorly on overall attractiveness and comfort for pedestrians, due largely to narrow, cluttered pavements and too many vehicles.
The trial currently underway on the road aims to address these issues and make it more pleasant for pedestrians, while still permitting through traffic.
