A PEDESTRIAN island is unnecessary and could put people in danger, a commuter has claimed.

Contractors for Brighton and Hove City Council began work last week in Carden Avenue metres from a mini-roundabout junction with the A23 London Road.

Aidan Marsh, of Patcham, who uses the junction almost every day, said the roadworks were causing delays.

He said: “It is completely unnecessary and it will continue to cause a bottleneck and more traffic delays because it has made the two lanes into a single lane at one point.

“I complained to the council about it being a waste of money and they said it was installed because of road safety. But I think drivers will end up driving on to the other side of the road to avoid it which could put pedestrians in more danger.

“If the road was dangerous it might have been better to introduce something like double yellow lines instead.”

A council spokeswoman said the island nearest the roundabout was not actually meant for pedestrians and the latest installation was not in response to “road safety” problems but as part of a redevelopment of the adjacent Maycroft Manor.

She said the developer Hallmark Care Homes had paid the council £15,000 as part of planning conditions so more “sustainable transport infrastructure”, including raised kerbs at the nearest bus stop, is put in place by the site.

Edburton contractors, of Henfield, were commissioned to carry out the work. The council spokeswoman said: “As part of the planning consent for the redevelopment of the Maycroft Manor site, a new pedestrian crossing facility is required at the developer’s expense.

“The pedestrian refuge is not being provided in response to a road safety problem.

“It is located approximately 42 metres east of a traffic splitter island at the mini-roundabout junction with London Road, which is not designed to accommodate pedestrians.

“There may be some inconvenience to motorists using Carden Avenue while the works are completed, but the finished pedestrian refuge will not cause traffic congestion. Once completed, traffic regulation orders to discourage parking will also be installed in Carden Avenue – also at the expense of the developer.”

A Hallmark Care Homes spokeswoman said: “Apart from this financial contribution, the provider has had no input into the current scheme and any decisions made are those of the local authority highways officers.”