THE council is finally taking seriously the traffic problems that plague the roads around the Outlet Village, a Labour councillor has said.

A meeting was held on Friday between councillors for the Mannington and Western ward, the leader of the council and the borough’s head of highways in an attempt to solve the congestion chaos.

Labour’s Jim Robbins has been leading the call for a solution as residents in the Rodbourne area claim the traffic problems are making them “prisoners in our own homes”.

Coun Robbins said: “It was good to finally sit down with the leader of the council and be able to put forward our case. It was a productive meeting, and both the leader and the head of highways are now taking the matter seriously.”

They discussed how the Outlet Centre’s car parks could be improved to allow traffic to flow more easily.

The solutions being considered include getting rid of the barriers to speed up parking, changing the entrance and exits in order to add more spaces, making the car parks multi-story and introducing automatic number plate recognition.

“We’ve been talking about this for a while, so it is positive that they have a consultant on site next week and some funding available to carry out changes,” Coun Robbins said.

The council also committed to having traffic wardens in the area on the Bank Holiday weekends in May to try to stop people blocking the through traffic lane.

Coun Robbins said they also agreed to add in hatching markings on the car park lane near the entrance to Barnum Court to allow people who live there to enter the street more easily.

He said: “It was useful and there are some positives, but no overnight solutions. We will keep trying to push for action and make sure borough do everything they say they will.”

Conservative Councillor David Renard, leader of the council, said: “Both Councillor Mary Martin and I have been working with officers for some time to seek ways that will allow the Outlet Village to continue to flourish and provide jobs, support the STEAM museum’s special events and not create traffic backlogs that affect residents and visitors.

“We have stated that there are no easy or immediate solutions because of the railway, but we are always willing to work with interested parties to do whatever is practicable.”

He said that solutions will be set out at council on April 19 in response to a petition from local residents.

Councillors also discussed the difficulties in leaving the area from Paddington Drive and Penzance Drive, alternative car parks on Bristol St, the removal of the bus gate in Church Place and a plan that would place marshals at the Bruce St Bridges entrance to Rodbourne and at the roundabout by Ron’s Stores only allowing residents and people accessing the shops to enter.