COUNCILLORS have passed a petition demanding that a gridlocked Gourock street is made one way.

A meeting of the council’s petitions committee was held after Kirn Drive resident William Oliver gathered signatures calling for traffic on his street to run from east to west only, in a bid to ease congestion.

The petition was signed by 126 people who said traffic on the street was getting worse.

After hearing from Mr Oliver at the meeting, plus Gordon Leitch of the roads department and councillors, the committee decided to accept the petition.

A report on the request will now be prepared by the director of environment, regeneration and resources.

The report will suggest how the council should proceed and it will be brought before a meeting of the environment and regeneration committee at a later date.

Although the campaign has cleared a big hurdle, officials have indicated that they will recommend that only the section between Divert Road and Arran Road should be changed.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Oliver said making the road one-way was the best way forward as opposed to previous suggestions of widening it or introducing passing places.

He said: “I have lived in Kirn Drive for 48 years and it’s been getting worse every year.

“There was something out on them [the council] wanting to build passing places, but that is not going to solve the problem. 

“I have spoken to emergency services and they do not have a problem with it being one-way.

"I think it’s a waste of money to widen the road.

“The only safe way is to make this road completely one-way. 

“I sent emails into the council saying if anyone in roads or planning was available I could walk them through all the problems.”

The issue was first brought up back in 2015 when five options were devised for tackling the problem, but no final decision was made.

Mr Leitch told the committee that, while he was prepared to accept the petition, he stressed making the whole road one-way could be problematic.

He said: “This an ongoing issue.

"There was a transport study and five options were looked at in 2015.

"When they carried this out they looked at the impact on the surrounding area and it came out that one-way westbound would be best.

"This didn’t get taken any further.

“The recommendation we will take forward is the same one the petitioner is asking for.

"But it will need traffic-calmed and there are financial implications, so we do need to get approval from the council.

"Then it would go to a public consultation to get everyone’s view and then it needs to go through a formal traffic regulation order process.

“The whole road being one-way would have a big impact on the surrounding area.

"We are proposing to make parts of it one-way.”

Town councillors Ronnie Ahlfeld and Lynne Quinn spoke in support of the petition during the meeting.

Cllr Quinn said: “I would be happy for this to go to the [environment and regeneration] committee. 

“There is a safety issue surrounding children and school buses.”

Cllr Ahlfeld added: “ I have got tremendous sympathy with Bill [Oliver] and I know how seriously he takes the problem. 

“We do have to do something.

"I think it has to be the full length [of the road].

"I would be happy enough if it went to committee.”