A NEW project to improve parking on a busy bus route on a residential street could be about to start after pleas for help from local people.

Next Thursday council cabinet member David Levene will decide whether to press ahead with a scheme to put new laybys into Burdyke Avenue, and restrict parking.

Residents presented a petition to the council earlier this year, complaining that buses are often delayed when the road is blocked by parked cars, their own parked cars are often damaged on the street when other vehicles hit them, and the verges are left a mess by vehicles parking on them.

Now council officials are asking for between £15,000 and £30,000 from the Better Bus Area fund to help address the problems, and at a decision session on Thursday Cllr Levene will decide whether to add the scheme to the council’s capital programme, and let officials do a feasibility study and come up with plans.

Another report would then come to the cabinet member in October with detailed proposals, meaning the work could go ahead in this financial year.