A COUNCILLOR who has said he felt "betrayed" by a decision to scrap a plan to install a long-awaited zebra crossing in St John's has said he is still not confident of getting it despite council bosses redrawing plans.

Councillor Richard Udall said potentially hundreds of elderly and disabled residents could be put in danger if a crossing was not installed in Henwick Road as part of plans to create a larger public space and make Bush Walk one-way.

Blind military veteran Mark Lucitt, of St Clements Close in St John's, asked the councillor to organise a meeting between himself and the council to discuss his huge concerns.

He said: "Can you get me in front of these people for a meeting who is doing all of these plans for St John's? They need to hear it from somebody that is blind and who has almost been killed a few times with crazy mad drivers."

The planning application by the county council has now been withdrawn after Cllr Udall refused to support it.

Cllr Udall said: "The decision to remove a zebra crossing for Henwick Road is a nasty political decision which will make St John's more dangerous for pedestrians. It could be the final straw for local shops and services, dividing local people from the post office, shops and the library."

The original plans with a zebra crossing were celebrated by Cllr Udall when they were first revealed in July and he said its inclusion came as a result of more than two decades of campaigning.

Cllr Udall said he now cannot support the scheme as he had only accepted the plans because of a promise to install the crossing and called its removal a "spiteful and nasty act of betrayal."

A council spokesman said: “We can confirm that the planning application in relation to the scheme of improvement works in St John’s has been withdrawn. We are currently revising the plans for the scheme.”