Traders pull traffic light prank protest (From Stroud News and Journal)

Traders pull traffic light prank protest

YOUNG people from a local fair trade workshop played an April fool's day joke on the council, constructing fake traffic lights of their own to protest against real ones erected outside their shop.

Staff and young people from Tranzform, on the corner of Gloucester Street and Bath Street, put up their traffic lights, made from paper, card and paint, at 8.00am on Friday, April 1.

The prank was the brainchild of youth worker Brendan Conboy, who has long been frustrated with the placement of temporary traffic lights, put up as part of the new cinema developments.

He said that the real traffic lights have had a bad effect on business at the non-profit making project, which sells fair trade products alongside craft items made by local youths in their workshop.

Alongside the fake light was a sign that read: "Is this the planner's idea of a joke? April Fool!"

Mr Conboy said: "The traffic lights would be very good for us if they were in the right place. But what we do not want is for the traffic lights just to be cutting our window in half and obstructing the view.

"They just haven't thought about it properly. This is just a small example of things that don't get thought through at the planning stage and it just ends up wasting a lot of money."

"Traders around here are getting a bit fed up. I think everyone is in favour of the cinema but sometimes we feel like we are being run roughshod over."

Mr Conboy said there had been no reaction from the council or the company involved in the development but that a few of the construction workers had smiled as they drove past the new "roadworks", which were removed later that day.

Mr Conboy said: "Get your planning right. Make your mistakes on paper and don't waste money getting it right. I am all in favour of traffic lights in the right places."

A spokesman for Costain refused to comment yesterday.