"NAIVE" proposals to alter parking restrictions along Ombersley Road have been stealthily introduced by the county council, claim residents and business owners.

Changes including additional double yellow lines and limited waiting times have been proposed for sections of the road as well as parts of St Stephen's Street, Victoria Street, Northwick Road, Pinkett Street, Coombs Road and Perdiswell Street.

Worcestershire County Council said it needed to make the alterations to improve journey times and cars parked along the road had been a problem.

A spokeswoman said: "Ombersley Road is the principal arterial route into Worcester from the north.

"The route has a number of pinch points exacerbated by parked vehicles which cause delays to traffic and impact on the reliability of local bus services.

"Worcestershire County Council proposes a number of alterations to Traffic Regulation Orders and other lining improvements along this corridor, which will include the provision of small sections of double yellow lines at junctions and repositioning of the centre line.

"The purpose of these works will be to significantly improve journey times and reliability along this corridor for all users of the route."

But residents and business owners dispute claims it will have a positive impact with one family, who live along Ombersley Road and have no off road parking, claiming it would be counter productive.

He said: "I don't see why it's necessary. The huge traffic queues every morning and evening are caused by the bottleneck on the Tything

"I have never seen any extra delay caused by parking along the lower end of the Ombersley Road."

Another person who had lived on Ombersley Road for many years said it was the volume of traffic rather than street parking that caused problems with traffic and believed people in the area had not been made aware of the proposals.

Claines councillors Liz Smith, Sue Askin and Ken Carpenter have leafleted houses along the road and side roads giving people details of the proposals and letting them know how they can respond.

Angela Johnson, owner of No 12 Hair and Beauty, worried customers would be put off if proposals to add double yellow lines from the junction with Droitwich Road to the bus stop outside her salon were given the green light.

"I think it's going to have a major effect on my business.

"People will just drive straight past and go to the city centre to have their hair done.

"It's going to be difficult. The residents won't want their spaces taken up with my customers."

Predrag Djuric, owner of The Crispy Cod in Pinkett Street, demanded to know why the county council had not contacted him and other people living and working in the affected areas beforehand.

The council wants to get rid of double yellow lines outside the fish and chip shop and create a 45 minute-restricted parking space outside the shop but prohibit parking on 14 metres of the road directly opposite.

He said: "I think it will be bad for business and bad for health and safety.

"There is a double yellow line outside the chippy at the moment and this morning I had a potato delivery so there were no cars there and meant they could be delivered quickly.

"They just take five minutes but if anyone was parked outside the shop then it would be impossible to make the delivery, they won't be able to park opposite the chemist so I think it would be very bad.

"No one contacted me or my neighbours to hear our ideas and concerns, no one knows anything.

"Customers and neighbours are very against the idea.

"There has been a shop here since 1928 and I have worked here for 12 years and there has never been a problem."

Mr Djuric said he was also concerned cars could be parked too close to the junction if plans go ahead and worried about the safety of schoolchildren who crossed the road outside his takeaway.

The county council spokesman said it had launched a 28 day consultation on the proposals which ended on Thursday, February 20.

"We would like to thank local people for their views and will now take a look at all of the responses we received and consult with the local county member before any decision is made."

Worcestershire County Council's proposals

Prohibit waiting at any time:

• Ombersley Road (west side)

from its junction with Lavender Road for a distance of 115 metres in a northerly direction;

from a point 15 metres south of its junction with Park Avenue for a distance of 15 metres in a southerly direction;

from a point 15 metres north of its junction with Park Avenue to its junction with Victoria Street;

from its junction with Victoria Street for a distance of 10 metres in a northerly direction;

from a point 49 metres north of its junction with Northwick Road and from the Bus Stop Clearway for a distance of 216 metres in a northerly direction to the Bus Stop Clearway.

• Ombersley Road (east side)

from its junction with Droitwich Road for a distance of 120 metres in a northerly direction to the Bus Stop Clearway;

from its junction with St Stephens Street for a distance of 10 metres in a southerly direction;

from its junction with St Stephens Street for a distance of 50 metres in a northerly direction;

from its junction with Perdiswell Street for a distance of 6 metres in a southerly direction;

from a point 10 metres north of its junction with Penbury Street for a distance of 68 metres in a northerly direction.

• St Stephens Street (both sides)

from its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 10 metres in an easterly direction.

• Victoria Street (both sides)

from its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 12 metres in a westerly direction.

• Northwick Road (northeast side)

from its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 53 metres in a northerly direction.

Replace limited waiting 45 minutes 8am – 6.30pm Monday to Saturday no return within 2 hours with prohibition of waiting at any time:

• Pinkett Street (north side)

from a point 8 metres west of its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 14 metres in a westerly direction.

Replace restriction of waiting 8am–6.30pm Monday to Saturday with prohibition of waiting at any time:

• Ombersley Road

from its junction with Northwick Road for a distance of 37 metres in a northerly direction to the Bus Stop Clearway.

Limit waiting 45 minutes 8am–6.30pm Monday to Saturday no return within 2 hours:

• Pinkett Street (south side)

from a point 9 metres west of its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 29 metres in a westerly direction.

• Coombs Road (south side)

from a point 14 metres east of its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 24 metres in an easterly direction.

Revoke prohibition of waiting at any time:

• Northwick Road (west side)

from a point 15 metres north of its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 30 metres in a northerly direction.

• Perdiswell Street (south side)

from a point 7 metres east of its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 12 metres in an easterly direction.

• Coombs Road (south side)

from a point 14 metres east of its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 7 metres in an easterly direction.

• Pinkett Street (south side)

from a point 9 metres west of its junction with Ombersley Road for a distance of 10 metres in a westerly direction.

• Ombersley Road (east side)

from its junction with Coombs Road for a distance of 20 metres in a northerly direction.