Councillors in Lindley are demanding that local infrastructure keeps pace with new developments in a village where hundreds of new homes have been built.

Liberal Democrat councillors Cahal Burke and Anthony Smith have welcomed the much-needed highway improvements in the area – but say they don’t go far enough and take too long to happen.

Clr Burke presented a petition to the last full meeting of Kirklees Council calling for improvements to roads and footpaths.

Clr Burke told Huddersfield Hub: “We need to ensure we have the infrastructure in place to deal with and cope with new developments.

“It is clear that we are currently struggling with all of our local schools over-subscribed, waiting lists for doctors and dentists and our roads are crumbling.

“Many of our roads and footpaths suffer as a result of new developments, with increased traffic and works traffic.

“Conditions are often put in place as part of a travel plan for works traffic so they avoid residential areas but unfortunately these are not enforced and then the conditions are useless.

“We have put too much faith in planning conditions hoping they would protect our residents and communities but we don’t have the relevant enforcement officers to take action.

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“We need to have enough people in planning to deal with conditions that are imposed on developers.”

Clr Burke highlighted Yew Tree Road in particular and said: “This road has seen years of works traffic use. These heavy vehicles are unsuitable for some of our roads and Yew Tree should not have been used.

“I have received many complaints from residents and have spent many days contacting enforcement and planning to take action. Unfortunately, this never happened apart from a sign at the top of the road which was just ignored.

“We want to see Yew Tree Road fully resurfaced as soon as possible and we have visited all the properties on Yew Tree with our petition. We now hope that a full resurface can take in the New Year.”

Clr Cahal Burke addresses the full council meeting

Meanwhile, this week Kirklees Council overruled objections to a flat-top road hump at a junction in Lindley where there have been several accidents.

Councillors Burke and Smith had launched a petition calling for safety improvements at the junction of Cowrakes Road and Crosland Road.

Kirklees Council found that several injury-accidents have taken place and that action was needed. Engineers proposed a flat-top plateau to slow drivers at the junction.

However, there were two objections from members of the public who said better solutions would be a mini roundabout or traffic signals.

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The issue went before the council’s Cabinet Committee for Local Issues and the two-man committee, chaired by Cabinet member for regeneration Clr Peter McBride, agreed to overrule the objections and give the go ahead to the plateau scheme.

A council officer told the committee that alternatives had been investigated and ruled out. Traffic signals would lead to longer delays at the junction while a mini roundabout would create extra dangers.

The officer said with a mini roundabout one direction would always be dominant meaning other drivers waiting to cross the roundabout were likely to become impatient and try to “jump into gaps.”

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Clr Paul Davies, Cabinet member for corporate, who was the second member of the committee, said of the decision: “It seems fairly straightforward.

“I understand the points raised but, as the officer said about the mini roundabout, it will introduce new hazards.”

That was the only item on the agenda and the meeting lasted just six minutes and 35 seconds.

Previously Clr Smith had described traffic calming measures as “really effective in reducing accident levels” and added: “We believe that this scheme will help slow drivers approaching the junction and ultimately improve road safety.”