COUNCILLORS are expected to reject motorists’ choice for action to cut jams at an Oldbury blackspot – despite spending cash asking for their views.

Sandwell Council has been criticised by West Midlands Euro MP Bill Etheridge for shaping up to over-rule the wishes expressed by the public in a consultation over the proposals for Birchley Island, next to Junction 2 of the M5.

UKIP MEP Mr Etheridge said: “If they are going to ignore what people have said after asking them, it is a fruitless exercise and an absolute waste of taxpayers’ money.”

Officers have recommended today's cabinet meeting to plump for “Option B” - described as a two-way “hamburger” island and costing £12.7 million - which would take Wolverhampton Road traffic straight through the junction.

But the biggest vote by those who responded to the public consultation was for “Option D”, which would cost £12.9 million.

The public’s preferred option would widen links to and from the motorway junction to four lanes in each direction, in a similar layout to Burnt Tree on the Dudley-Sandwell border.

Fifty per cent of the 779 people who filled in questionnaires and a further 350 comments posted to the council through Facebook were “satisfied” with Option D, compared to 36 per cent for the council officers’ favourite.

The council hopes to win funding through the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership to improve the island, which is used by around 92,000 drivers a day and is a traffic jam hotspot.

Four options were put forward by council officers, in a consultation costing £554.

Councillor Ian Jones, cabinet member for jobs and economy, said the cost was part of £600,000 set aside for “detailed modelling plans” if the scheme went ahead.

Officers asked the cabinet yesterday afternoon for the go-ahead to develop a business case for “Option B”.

In their report to the cabinet, officers say “Option D” was regarded by those responding to the consultation as the “most satisfactory” because people viewed it as a significant improvement in safety and ease of use compared to the existing roundabout.

But the officers add that “Option B” was also “well regarded” by respondents because of its ease of use and it appeared to offer more capacity.

They say the road layout for their preferred option allows vehicles to travel between the north and south parts of Wolverhampton Road with less delay, whereas they claim “Option D” does not improve the reliability of journey time.

And they say there could have been a greater degree of satisfaction for the “hamburger” layout if the consultation document had emphasised that the scheme included improved lane markings.