RESIDENTS on a key road in North Oxford have been left 'outraged' by a council U-turn over the removal of a three-lane system due to safety concerns.

Work began on Saturday to resurface Sunderland Avenue and install an area for speed camera vans.

Residents had complained of more potholes and noisy vehicles driving past their homes since the £10m Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabout scheme was completed last year.

Oxfordshire County Council had also told residents and the Oxford Mail the new three-lane system would be returned to two lanes – after concerns that the system had caused collisions and road rage.

But in an email to residents on Friday – 24 hours before work commenced – the county council's project manager Isaac Webb revealed the decision to revert to two lanes had been overturned citing safety concerns

He said it would block the roundabout and cause 'more conflict' on approaches.

Hilary Haskell, who lives on the road, said: "We are outraged, it will cause absolute disaster – Sunderland Avenue will continue to be used as a parking lot.

"We were told it would revert to two lanes, which we were happy with, but they have since gone back on their word.

"There have been more road rage incidents and collisions on the road since the three lanes have been there.

"I came back home the other morning to find a lorry and a car had smashed into a lamppost on the road."

The crash in question involved a car and a skip lorry, which also hit a fallen tree and a lamppost shortly before 7am on July 19.

Two people were treated for minor injuries at the scene but congestion built up on the A40 eastbound for most of the morning.

In March a baby girl and three other people were taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital after a crash between two cars on the road.

A black Ford Fiesta flipped onto its roof and one person had to be cut free.

County council project manager Isaac Webb said: "We have reviewed a lane drop along the length from three lanes to two lanes – reverting to the old layout – and have resolved that undertaking this presents a number of issues of both safety and capacity.

"The safety implications are not directly associated to the two lanes on Sunderland Avenue itself but the blocking through the roundabouts, which would create more conflict on the circulatory roads and approaches."

Lesley Fitchett, who started a petition for the resurfacing work to take place, said: "We were only given the opportunity to view the change in plans at the 11th hour.

"It is incredibly frustrating that once again we are left in limbo, we need to know why this decision was made and why we weren't told sooner."

The project caused delays over the weekend, which was blamed on the fact the traffic lights had not been re-phased to rule out the closed Sunderland Avenue.

Monday ran smoothly with night-time closures beginning.