THOUSANDS of pounds is to be spent on trying to improve road safety and ease traffic flow outside a Haslingden school.

Highways chiefs are proposing to install a puffin crossing outside Haslingden High School in a bid to ease traffic during busy periods.

There is already a zebra crossing outside the Broadway school but queues of traffic have long been a frustration for drivers who are left waiting while pedestrians cross, council chiefs claim.

Lancashire County Council is planning to spend £58,000 on the crossing, which will be controlled by traffic lights, in the hope it will 'better manage the current conflict between pedestrians and traffic'.

However the plan was slammed by one councillor who said it would be a 'total sin' to spend that much cash when people are told council finances are tight.

A report into the proposal said: "There are long queues of traffic at busy times of day on Broadway due to the many pedestrians using the existing zebra crossing outside the school.

"A signal controlled pedestrian puffin crossing will improve traffic flow whilst reducing the current pedestrian/vehicle conflict at the crossing."

It would be placed further away from the junction with Devon Crescent where the current crossing is which would mean less parking spaces.

The plans were put out to consultation earlier this year with two objections received, one from a resident who claimed he would lose the ability to park conveniently outside his house, which was rejected by the council who said the crossing point was 'well away' from his driveway.

Another was from the parent of a child at nearby Broadway Primary School, who complained about the loss of parking spaces.

The original plans would have reduced the 20 spaces by five or six, but a revised plan means two will be lost.

The report continues: "It is felt that this is a reasonable arrangement in view of the benefits to traffic flow.

"There is further parking provision available opposite the primary school on the north side of Broadway and in Knowsley Road, as well as further west than Devon Crescent on Broadway, and in Grasmere Road to the east of the primary school."

It adds there is on-going risk of pedestrian injury if the plans are not implemented.

Mark Jackson, headteacher of Haslingden High School, said they had been consulted on the plans.

He said: "It does get very busy and it is difficult for the drivers.

"Once the students come out there is probably a steady stream of students so it might ease the traffic."

However Cllr David Stansfield, who covers the Rossendale South ward on Lancashire County Council, said it was a 'total sin' to spend that much money on changing the crossing.

He said: "This is a big no-no.

"They keep rubbing it in that we are short of finances. You can't justify spending £58,000 to put in a different crossing so we have a button that the kids can keep pressing to hold up traffic.

"That sort of money could be spent elsewhere. It is a total waste of money when it could be spent on something like looking after the elderly."