Highways chiefs came under fire for failing to come up with an answer to the morning and evening tailbacks along the city centre-bound side of Tulketh Brow in Ashton, Preston.

The congestion is caused by traffic turning right on to Water Lane, backing up into one lane and stopping cars from continuing along Fylde Road.

As part of plans for 12 homes at Ashton Basin, off Tulketh Brow, Lancashire County Council was asked to come up with a way of easing the problem.

But the authority said there was nothing it could do. Tulketh Brow could not be widened without the demolition of houses 38-42.

Coun Tom Davies (Con), a member of Preston Council's planning committee, said: "I really feel these people at LCC must never travel down this road. It's not adequate.

"If we're allowing the development to take place, now is the time to get that road sorted.

"Now is the time to move that roundabout over to the left and get that second lane in. This nonsense about knocking houses down is scaremongering.

"They could make that footpath a lot smaller and that would help that road and move everything across."

Coun Alan Hackett (Lib Dem) said: "The council doesn't always get it right and I don't think they've tried hard enough this time."

John Lindsay, principal planning officer at Preston Council, said a highways consultant claimed road improvements would be "over and above reasonable works associated with a development of this magnitude" and it "could be detrimental in safety terms and would not necessarily improve traffic flow".

In the end, councillors voted seven to four in favour of the 12 new homes with parking proposed by British Waterways, despite nine letters of objection from residents.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "Lancashire County Council has provided comments to Preston Council regarding the proposed development and its impact on the highway network.

"It is up to Preston Council's planning committee to consider the application, and approval or otherwise of the application rests with the planning committee."