Measures to improve congestion at a notorious East Lancashire traffic bottleneck are to be debated by councillors.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have tabled motions on the problems at the Hare and Hounds road junction in Clayton-le-Moors for Hyndburn Council's full meeting on Thursday.

The highway intersection in Whalley Road has long been a hotspot for traffic jams.

Local Clayton-le-Moors Councillor Melissa Fisher had repeatedly warned of potential ‘chaos and carnage’ after plans for 127 new homes on the Lockside Walk housing estate, on the nearby six-acre Clayton Triangle site, were approved in February last year.

Now she and fellow Labour group deputy leader Cllr Noordad Aziz - also Lancashire County Councillor for Great Harwood, Rishton and Clayton-le-Moors - have called for a new link road between the M65 and Great Harwood to by-pass the bottleneck.

Tory county councillor for Great Harwood, Rishton and Clayton-le-Moors, Cllr Carole Haythornthwaite, is urging the highways authority and Hyndburn Conservative MP Sara Britcliffe to find the cash for an engineering study into options to ease jams at the junction.

Lancashire Telegraph: Cllr Noordad Aziz and his Labour group want a relief road buildingCllr Noordad Aziz and his Labour group want a relief road building

Local residents have long campaigned for action to improve highway safety at the location.

The Labour motion - proposed by Netherton ward's Cllr Aziz and seconded by Cllr Fisher - is entitled 'Potential Link Road'.

It says: "That this council resolves to write to the Government and Lancashire County Council to make the case for a link road potentially connecting the M65 to Great Harwood, aimed at alleviating congestion on Whalley Road in Clayton-le-Moors.

"The congestion on Whalley Road in Clayton-le-Moors poses significant challenges for the borough, and this will only increase as additional development takes place."

Lancashire Telegraph: A relief road is also being asked for by Tory County Cllr Carole HaythornthwaiteA relief road is also being asked for by Tory County Cllr Carole Haythornthwaite

The Conservative motion - proposed by Rishton ward's Cllr Haythornthwaite and seconded by her Clayton-le-Moors ward colleague Peter Edwards - call for an 'An Option Engineering Study at Hare and Hounds Junction'.

It reads: "This council welcomes the £494million investment in Lancashire’s transport infrastructure thanks to savings from the northern leg of HS2.

"The council resolves to support the efforts of Hyndburn’s MP in seeking to secure some of this funding for an option engineering study to look at the options for solving the congestion problems at the Hare and Hounds Junction in Clayton-le-Moors.

"The council recognises that this traffic situation at the junction cannot continue, the status quo being undesirable for both drivers and residents, and will support Hyndburn’s MP in her effort to obtain funding from Lancashire County Council for an option engineering study."