MORE than 350 people have signed a petition in less than a week, asking Newport City Council to address the issue of traffic congestion in Bettws Lane.

The petition also raises concerns about parking issues by Newport High School and the Foxglove Meadows estate at peak times.

Councillor Kevin Whitehead, who set up the petition last Wednesday, said that Bettws Lane is the only way in and out of the estate – apart from a few other small country lanes.

“The main issue is the volume of traffic,” he said. “Bettws Lane can’t cope, especially at peak times. It is very frustrating for people.

“Another huge concern has to be the scenario of emergency services vehicles needing to get onto the estate around these times as the road has two lanes only.”

Cllr Whitehead added that, in the past few years, several large planning applications have been granted in the area, but without any consideration for additional infrastructure.

“Planners are the ones who have to deal with this,” he said. “One of the solutions could be to connect us to the M4. They could do it from the roundabout in Monnow Way and across the fields by there.”

The 2011 census said there were 7,800 residents in Bettws, pointed out cllr Whitehead.

“Now, it must be around 10,000 people living in the estate – but the roads are still the same,” he added.

Louise Smith, who lives by Bettws Shopping Centre, works by John Frost Square.

The 47-year-old said: “If I leave the house at 8am, it takes me more than an hour to get to work.

“It is a journey that should take me 15 minutes.

“I have tried to go other ways, like via Rogerstone – but it is all gridlocked.

“I love living in Bettws, but I would like to be able to leave at a reasonable time.”

She said another possible solution would be to have two lanes heading out along Bettws Lane, losing the pavement on one side.

Beverley Griggs, 48, echoed her concerns.

“If you leave five minutes late, it gets worse and worse,” she said. “When it is school pick up or drop off times, it is madness.”

A spokesman for Newport council said Bettws Lane “currently has sufficient capacity to serve the local housing estate”, and added that a pedestrian crossing had been removed to aid traffic flow.

He said: “The petition calls for a link from Monnow Way to the M4, however linking any roads in Newport to the M4 would be a matter for Welsh Government.

“As with many school zones within the city, school pick-up and drop-off times can cause disruption to traffic flow. Obstructive parking is a matter for the police.

“Newport City Council has recently upgraded cycle routes and routes to school along Bettws Lane to encourage students to travel to school by bicycle or on foot.”

You can find the petition at http://bit.ly/2lOIQEs