ESSEX County Council has put the brakes on plans to reverse the traffic flow in Colchester’s Priory Street.

Rodney Bass, county councillor for highways, has said a full public consultation will take place over the proposals.

It comes just two weeks after Mr Bass announced the plans at a public meeting.

The council initially said it would introduce the change on an 18-month trial basis, so it did not need to carry out a full consultation, allowing it to go ahead before the park-and-ride opens on April 13.

Yesterday, the council told the Gazette there is no date for the traffic to be reversed and residents will be consulted.

Rob Brown, secretary of Priory Area Residents’ Association, said it is a step in the right direction.

He said: “They tried to force this through without any consultation whatsoever and thanks to the local outcry they have had to step backwards.

“We would like Mr Bass to come and tell us exactly why he is so convinced this is a good idea. We have a right to be consulted.

These people are supposed to govern on our behalf.”

At the moment, drivers can only access Priory Street from Queen Street.

Mr Bass said he wanted cars to enter it from East Hill instead.

He said it would increase the use of Priory Street car park and would stop a dangerous practice of people performing U-turns in Lewis Gardens to access Queen Street.

Residents said the change would increase traffic and make Priory Street a rat-run, endangering children and residents.

Bridget Harris, headteacher at St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School, in Priory Street, said the plans would be a danger to the 210 children who cross the street every day.

She said: “It’s fabulous news.

They probably thought it was just this little sleepy residential street and didn’t pay a second thought to the fact there’s a school down here.”

Bill Frame, borough councillor for Castle ward, said Mr Bass had bowed to people power.

He said: “With his previous decision, Mr Bass didn’t have to talk to any residents until the end of the 18-month trial.

“He has back-tracked on it and I will give him credit for it.

“I don’t think he had any idea of the public feeling until this outpouring from the residents.”

It is not known when the public consultation will begin or how quickly the change could be introduced if the council goes ahead.

An Essex County Council spokesman yesterday said: “The reversal of priority in Priory Street will be under public consultation and no decision will be taken until responses to that consultation have been received and considered.”