RESIDENTS on a new housing estate have been left raging after a bus stop and double yellow lines appeared outside their homes without warning.

Workmen painted lines in Olympic Boulevard, Colchester, on Friday, prompting residents to hurriedly move their cars.

A short time later the line painters’ handiwork was complete and a bus stop was painted on the road, spanning three driveways.

Mum-of-three Laura Bethell, whose home now has the bus stop outside it, said: “I had been warned about the bus stop, but assumed it was going to be further along and not across my car port.”

She was not warned about the double yellow lines. The first she knew of the work starting was when workmen knocked on her door asking her to move her car.

Miss Bethell moved it to another street on the estate. She said the double yellow lines and bus stop would cause huge problems.

She said: “I can’t get my daughter out of the car on the passenger side because of the wall.

“All the other houses have got spaces outside their house, apart from this road.

“When my sister visits or my dad does, I don’t know where they are going to park.”

She warned problems will get worse with more homes still to be built on the estate, meaning more residents will arrive.

Neighbour Emma Taylor, 33, a firefighter and first responder, said: “When I moved house, the bus stop was in the plans and I complained about it.

“But I had no idea about the double yellow lines. I left for work last night, went to the gym and came back and found the lines. It is going to be a right pain if I have got to get somewhere in an emergency.”

Peter Modeste, 73, who lives opposite where the bus stop has been painted, said: “There is space for a bus stop nearer the Mill Road roundabout that would not have the impact.”

Martin Goss, bourough councillor for Mile End, said: “I am angry about the whole situation because we are treating one set of residents one way and a different set of residents another.

“I will be holding someone accountable for this.”

A spokesman for Crest Nicholson said: “The lines follow the pre-planned bus route which will run the length of Olympic Boulevard and we are also in the process of painting bus stops along the route.

"We apologise to residents for any inconvenience caused by the work being undertaken and encourage those with specific queries to get in touch with our customer services team.”