EXCLUSIVE WORCESTERSHIRE has been swamped with nearly 6,000 requests for temporary traffic lights in less than two years - with utility firms sparking anger by driving key routes to a halt.

Your Worcester News can reveal how Worcestershire County Council is being besieged by firms looking to dig up roads, leading to serious concerns over congestion.

We can exclusively reveal:

- From April 2013 to the end of last month a staggering 5,863 requests were made to use temporary traffic lights during roadworks, an eye-watering 61 for every single week across the county

- The figure is on the rise, as in 2013/14 it averaged 243 a month but in the current 2014/15 financial year, it has increased nine per cent to 266, confirming previous anecdotal evidence that things have got worse

- Of those 5,863 temporary traffic lights 1,843 were on main 'A' roads, including busy routes like The Tything, Bath Road, London Road and Sidbury in Worcester, 31 per cent of all roadworks

- Around £1 million in fines have been collected by the county council for works running late

The data includes work by utility firms and the county council's own highways jobs such as resurfacing and pothole repairs.

The figures have been unearthed by this newspaper after a debate at Worcester City Council, which is reviewing congestion.

During the work so far they have gathered evidence from various employers, the public and the county council, the body responsible for transport, to take stock of the current situation.

Councillor Lynn Denham, who is part of the group, said she was left "stunned" by the data having been given a figure of 2,023 for just one year.

Your Worcester News reported those figures on our website yesterday.

"It gives you a scale of the problems that can arise - and it seems to be the norm rather than an abnormality," she said.

During a city council scrutiny committee meeting, others called for radical action like parking bays on all new developments to avoid situations like Sidbury, where the available road width often shortens due to deliveries.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Liz Smith said: "If there were properly designed drop-off points it would prevent roads narrowing to 50 per cent of its width at key times."

She added: "People could drop their kids off at schools and move on."

Others lamented the Perdiswell park and ride closure of last September.

Councillor Paul Denham said: "By not working together, I think the county council closing down the park and ride has increased congestion in the city and will continue to do so.

"We know, from the figures that the park and ride was getting 900 people a day use it and that use of city council car parks is up by 700, which is good for the council's income but does mean 700 more cars adding to congestion."

Tory Councillor Roger Knight called for the ring road completion, saying: "The Southern Link Road (A4440) work won't solve city centre congestion, only completing a proper circular route for traffic will do that."

COUNTY COUNCIL SAYS ITS HANDS ARE TIED

THE county council says it realises drivers are fed up with hold-ups around Worcestershire, and insists huge efforts are taking place to try and ease it.

By law, highways bosses cannot turn down applications for roadworks - all they can do is negotiate the dates to try and avoid clashes.

The authority says around 25 per cent of initial temporary traffic light requests are turned down, with the council renegotiating an alternative date in order to ease any problems.

Those who apply must request a start date and finish date, and details of the work required.

Jon Fraser, the highways manager at County Hall, told your Worcester News they hold quarterly meetings in private with all the utility firms where they "put plans on the table" and come to the best deals they can to ensure traffic flows.

Around 15 per cent of roadworks around the county run late, triggering fines which have added up to around £1 million during that period.

Mr Fraser said: "We take a hard line on this - when we get applications in we do negotiate and change the dates if we think there's an issue.

"People say 'can't you do it in the school holidays' but we can't get everything done in those weeks, most of it is unavoidable.

"If the work is an emergency we cannot legally say no but otherwise, we can move the dates around and if the road is deemed to be newly-surfaced we do have powers to block it for two years.

"And we treat our own roadworks exactly the same, when our highways team needs to do some work an application must go in and it is assessed under the same rules.

"A small percentage overrun, around 85 per cent finish on time and we have, and are using powers to hand out fines when they run late."

He said for mains replacements, he expects 12 months notice from utility firms, but otherwise they can come in at short notice.

"We have a reputation for taking a hard line, we do say no - but we can't unreasonably delay things," he said.

He also added that of all the parts of the county, Worcester gets the largest single portion of the roadworks.

The data does not include any works which do not require temporary traffic lights.

The city's population, more 'urban' roads network and the age of the utilities are all contributing factors.

* What do you think? Can anything be done to stem the tide of roadworks? Email letters@worcesternews.co.uk.