SURREY County Council will today (Friday) begin its controversial traffic improvement scheme along Shortheath Road, Echo Barn Lane and Ridgway Road, with a number of residents still vehemently against the project. A consultation evening was held last year at which residents voted en masse against the 11 mini roundabouts which the council proposed. The council then adapted the plans to involve three single and one double mini roundabout and went ahead with the scheme without, the residents claim, any further consultation. Residents have spoken to The Herald about the council's "total disregard" for their views. They complain that at least three properties will have their driveways blocked off in the event of heavy eastbound traffic, and will have to wait on the main carriageway. They were further angered by the fact that they received a letter confirming the works would take place just one week before they were due to start. Shortheath Road resident Ralph Giles has lived in Farnham all of his life and said he is disgusted at the way the council have treated local people. He said: "People have rung up complaining about the project and making their views known, but it doesn't seem to get us anywhere, so what's the point? "Once again, they have managed to worm a project into fruition regardless of what anyone else thinks." The intention is to build single mini- roundabouts at the junctions of Little Green Lane and Shortheath Road, Green Lane and Shortheath Road, Manley Bridge Road and Quennels Hill, and a double mini-roundabout at the junction of Sandrock Hill and School Lane. Surrey County Council is adamant that the plans will improve road safety in the area. Senior traffic engineer Les Gillingham said: "People don't like it because they aren't used to it. Instead of looking at the individual roundabouts we are putting in, people need to look at the project as a whole. "A roundabout or staggered crossroad may not have a huge direct impact on that section of road, but the drivers will subsequently be slower further down the line ,which will undoubtedly reduce the risk of an accident." With the project target time set at 11 weeks and works being carried out from 7-30 am until 4 pm, widespread traffic disruption is expected. It remains to be seen what impact the works will have on the school-run queues, which can often tail back from Ridgway Road to Green Lane - a distance of just over half a mile. The road network in question is much used by larger vehicles which, due to the volume of work going on, will be diverted along Weydon Lane past Weydon School to avoid the Wrecclesham Road railway bridge. What has been even more of a concern for some local people is the length of time any diversions may add to emergency vehicles on call. They have been advised of possible diversion routes which would involve using the Farnham bypass up to the Shepherd and Flock roundabout and back to access Station Hill and Frensham Road, potentially adding four or five minutes to response times.