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It's safe to say people in Birkenhead are happy with the removal of a road design considered to be an eyesore.
The street, comically nicknamed Wotsit Street, was given its name due to bright orange and yellow road markings put in place by the council in October 2025. Apparently, they resemble the cheesy crisps.
Wirral Council leader Paula Basnett has confirmed the markings, planters, and benches will be removed. According to the Wirral Globe, the furniture and planters are expected to be gone by the end of this month, while the road markings will be removed by the end of September.
Residents have complained about Grange Road West's appearance and the lack of parking since the measures came into place. However, Councillor Basnett has also said they will reinstate parking on the road and add more loading bays for businesses in the area.
Cheryl Melser, a resident of the area, told the Globe the road markings are "hideous", and she's glad to see them go.
Jenny Pierce, who was walking down the road at the time, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I can't wait to see it go, it looks hideous."
Not everyone shares that view. George Kerr, who was found on nearby Salisbury Street, said: "I'll be sorry to see it go. You get used to it."
Councillor Basnett herself has criticised the design, and has said she understood residents' frustrations with it. She also condemned it in an interview with BBC Radio Merseyside, saying the markings look "like a child's competition".
The scheme cost around £300,000 and primarily aimed to decrease traffic in the town centre. Unfortunately, bad publicity for the road markings has overshadowed any efforts at reducing traffic, it seems.
The street is set to remain a one-way road.
