A PLAN has been announced to stop scores of coaches taking students to Halesowen College "clogging up" small residential roads and causing misery for residents.

Residents of roads including Fairmile Road, Hawne Lane, Whittingham Road, Furnace Hill, Furnace Lane and Shelah Road, are fed up of a stream of around twenty coaches thundering down the roads three times a day.

Now after years of complaints the college has come up with a "plan to alleviate the effect on the neighbourhood of the coaches" and is proposing a turning circle on Whittingham Road which will mean the coaches will only use Furnace Lane.

Councillor Simon Phipps, who is representing residents, said issues include coaches mounting pavements, clogging up roads and parking up for hours instead of returning to depot.

Halesowen News: A design of where the turning circle would be A design of where the turning circle would be (Image: Halesowen College)

In a newsletter the college states: "We have been working for almost two years to develop a plan to alleviate the effect on the neighbourhood of the coaches which bring the majority of our students to college.

"Our proposal is to use the area of rough ground opposite the college site, at the edge of the sports field, to create a coach turning area.

"This would mean the coaches would no longer need to come through the residential roads, as they could both enter and leave Whittingham Road via the Furnace Lane end.

"To alleviate parking pressures in the local area, the space may also be used for football teams car parking at weekends."

The letter goes on to state that it has reached an agreement with Earls High to use the land.

Councillor Phipps said: "Something has to be done - if it's not this we have to explore alternatives. This is the only thing the college has put on the table.

"Coaches are clogging up roads. It's been going on for years and residents are fed up.

"The coaches along with cars parked on roads are causing log jams. Coaches are mounting the pavements.

"They are parking for hours on residential roads when they should be returning the depots.

"These residential roads are not designed for such large vehicles."

Cllr Phipps said he is asking for a full analysis of the proposal to ensure that it is not just moving the issue.

A spokesperson for Halesowen College said: "Our coach services provide a safe transport option for our students and are valued by learners and their parents.

"We have plans to develop a turning circle opposite the college in order that our coaches can in future avoid the residential areas as they approach and leave the college.

"We believe that this will contribute to easing the congestion in the local area around Whittingham Road.

"Timescales are not yet confirmed as we await the necessary permissions from the Secretary of State.

"We also need to work closely with colleagues at Dudley MBC in respect of the turning circle and our plans to re-develop Trinity Point as an additional campus which will also further alleviate traffic in the Whittingham Road area."