Midsomer Norton Town Council was challenged on the traffic gridlock around work at Stone's Cross and how it had killed all business to the High Street,

Work on the traffic signals around the top of the High Street had led to no one going anywhere said a resident at their Monday night ( February 6) meeting, so she wanted to know if the Town Council were consulted about the engineering plans.

" We are notified," she was told, but that is the sum of the power any of the local councils impacted by road works.

Cllr Shaun Hughes added that it was not within council powers to prevent highways work and in this case the traffic signals were around 25 years old and should really only have a working life of 15 years.

Adding: " There is never a good time for this kind of work, but it has to be done. That was when the engineers decided, so not us."

But it was pointed out that the work leading down to Station Road happened at the same time as emergency gas works in Radstock on January 24, and highways digging up parts of Paulton too.

Cllr Hughes added that within B&NES they had asked for a more joined up approach to work being scheduled to happen and for, " them to be a bit more thoughtful."

Cllr Tim Wells said that at least some people had got some great footage of the traffic chaos taking to the Somer Valley skies to show the traffic queueing to get home.

The Midsomer Mayor Cllr Gordon Mackay quipped: " Who was to blame for it all ? Well everyone blamed me on social media."