Colourful junction still dividing opinion two years on

Two years after a junction underwent a colourful £5.5m makeover, people's opinions towards it remain mixed.

Detractors said California Crossroads in Finchampstead, Berkshire, looked unclear following Wokingham Borough Council's project and was an "accident waiting to happen".

But the council's Adrian Betteridge said it had achieved all that the authority set out to since work was completed in September 2024.

Last year, about 1,500 people signed a petition calling for the junction to be changed, but it remains in place.

Betteridge, the council's executive member for active travel, transport and highways, said he was pleased with how it had been operating.

"It's not just a road junction, it's the centre of a community," he said.

"There's a primary school just off it, a dentist, a doctors, lots of popular shops and restaurants."

There have been no reported accidents at the crossing since the changes, but Betteridge acknowledged that it was not regarded as unsafe before.

Instead, required drainage works meant it was a chance to reimagine how the junction worked for everyone.

"We wanted to move it away from being a busy road junction dominated by cars to something that worked well for the community," he said.

"Sometimes too much priority can encourage drivers to assume they've got the right of way and to drive quickly and this is a very busy area.

"We're trying to make it clear to people that this isn't solely the domain of the car."

The junction consists of two roundabouts, each with three exits. Each exit has a crossing for pedestrians.

But instead of a zebra crossing with black and white stripes, there is a distinctive white leaf design - and instead of a roundabout with a standard central island, there's an array of rainbow leaves painted on the road.

Resident Naomi Bewick said she felt that the junction remained unclear.

"I think not knowing, not having clear directions, can confuse people," she said.

"Especially if you're rushing around in the morning, you've got things to do, you want to be places quickly, the not knowing makes people go faster, I think.

"Because there's no roundabout in the middle, people don't really like to go round - they just like to go straight over."

Mary Bicknell, another resident, added: "I think the leaves are a bit confusing on the zebra crossing for the children.

"I was concerned for the children thinking it was a playground but, as far as I know, there haven't been any problems with it, and I'm quite happy with it."