PARISH councillors face being phased out of a road safety group if concrete plans are not put in place for the future of Colchester Highways Panel.

Robert Johnstone, a member of Colchester Association of Local Councils, has warned changes to the way road safety issues are dealt with in the town could lead to local people losing their say.

He said: “We are in an odd position in that we have no idea where to take our local concerns to now the Highways Panel doesn’t exist.”

Chairman of the panel Martin Hunt has said he would like a sub-committee of the finance and scrutiny committee set up to take on the panel’s responsibilities, but nothing has been confirmed.

But Mr Johnstone said: “We have not been kept in the loop and it’s worrying, which is pretty poor.

“You can’t have a committee set up to deal with issues like this and then dissolve it with no future plans.”