CONTENTIOUS calls are being made by residents to close Brook Street - for good.

The congested Colchester road is closed for two months while highways workers create a new junction at East Hill.

But residents have enjoyed the peace and quiet so much they are now calling on Essex County Council to consider never opening the road to through traffic again.

The movement is spearheaded by 68-year-old Jane Clarke, who has lived in the street for 36 years.

She said: "Since the closure, I can't tell you how much residents are enjoying it.

"Children are using their bikes on the road, they're playing in the street we can actually open our windows without being clouded with traffic fumes and smog.

"We can actually walk out of homes without fear onto the 1 metre-wide pavement - it is a completely different place to live."

The retired primary school teacher added: "I know what we're calling for will be contentious and not everyone will agree, but the closure does not appear to have caused the major disruption which had been predicted.

"I think what we're seeing is the roads which are taking the traffic while Brook Street is closed, can take the traffic.

"Little Brook Street cannot and was never meant to."

Mrs Clarke gathered 70 signatures from residents in just a few hours on Saturday <16 APR> and she hopes to put the petition to highways bosses before the road is due to re-open at the end of May.

She added: "What we need is some forward thinking.

"They are doing this work to prepare for a predicted increase in traffic, which is only going to mean our road becomes more and more polluted."

Mrs Clarke's petition labels current level of pollution and traffic as "unacceptable" and calls for a closure to through traffic.

To sign the petition, email jane.clarke@tiscali.co.uk.

Essex County Council was contacted but a spokesman declined to comment.