Businesses in Cressex are being “crippled” by new part-time traffic lights – but the county council says drivers just need to get used to the changes. 

Part-time signals at the junction of Cressex Road and Desborough Avenue were installed before Christmas as a “direct response” to complaints from companies in the business park, says Transport for Bucks – but some commuters are unhappy with the changes. 

Kelly Clayton, who works in an office in Lincoln Road, says since the lights were installed, getting out of the business park has been a “nightmare” and it takes her more than 50 minutes to complete the three-and-a-half mile journey home to Flackwell Heath every evening. 

She said: “Over Christmas, no one really noticed because there was low traffic, but since everyone has returned to work it has been a nightmare.

“It has been taking us 40 minutes to do less than half a mile. I have staff members who are rightly frustrated asking if they can leave early because of it. It is disruptive. 

“It has always taken a long time to get out of the business park when there is an event on like the Christmas lights switch-on or an accident on the motorway but now it is even worse.

“There are lots of frustrated people. The person who made this decision obviously doesn’t work on the business park.” 

The new signals are part of a wider package of measures to try and ease traffic and parking problems on the business park. 

Cllr Mark Shaw, transport chief at Bucks County Council, said he was aware that the timing of the lights had been causing problems. 

He said: “The intention of these signals is to provide a gap in the flow of traffic when the queue on Lancaster Road to exit the business park reaches a certain point. 

“At this point, the lights turn red for traffic on Desborough Avenue in both directions, allowing the mini-roundabout to clear and traffic to leave Lancaster Road.

“As the lights have only recently been installed, it will take some time for drivers to get used to how they operate.

“Our engineers on site have been observing a significant number of drivers ignoring the signals and blocking the mini-roundabout on Desborough Avenue, leaving no exit for drivers from the business park.”

“We are aware that the timings of the lights has not been optimal and, in particular, the phase that is controlling the traffic on Lancaster Road has been causing problems.

“Technicians have been on site to optimise how these operate for Cressex businesses.

“We do need to be mindful though of the potential knock-on effect for the rest of the area, and specifically not to cause queues back to the Handy Cross Roundabout as this would have serious implications for many more drivers.”