The council’s Highways department has confirmed that it will be implementing its plan to close the central reservation on Dewsbury Road at the junctions with Tempest Road and Colwyn Road later this year.

The plan means that drivers will no longer be able to turn right into Tempest Road or Colwyn Road from Dewsbury Road, nor turn right out of Tempest Road or Colwyn Road onto Dewsbury Road.

As we have previously reported, many residents are keen to see action to make this accident blackspot safer, but feel the solution put forward is the wrong one.

Cllr Paul Wray (Labour, Hunslet & Riverside) told South Leeds Life:

“This junction has one of the highest collision rates in the whole of Leeds, and I hope we all agree that we must do something to make this safe for residents Beeston, in fact we have a legal obligation to make it safe, not just a moral one.

“Someone facing a life changing injury here, or worse, doesn’t bear thinking about. Mitigating against that risk is worth a small delay for drivers.

“Professional road engineers have looked in depth at all options, and I thank residents for sending in further suggestions that have also all been considered by these professionals in detail. Sadly, none of these, while making things easier for drivers, wouldn’t address the reason behind the collisions – access via the central reservation.

“There is no painless way to improve the safety of this junction, as some have suggested, but in a choice between safety and inconvenience, I will choose safety every single time.”

But Cllr Ed Carlisle (Green, Hunslet & Riverside) commented:

“We needed action on this troublesome junction – but this feels like a very clunky solution, that will simply shift the problem elsewhere, and drive more traffic into our community. Many thanks to all who helped push for a better solution – and we had a really effective and achievable proposal on the table, designed by a retired local highways engineer. Time will tell, but this feels like a step in the wrong direction. We can’t win every battle, but the work of building local power and voice continues.”

And Sarah Hutchinson, on behalf of the Beeston Hill Community Association committee, said:

“The BHCA, along with many Beeston Hill residents are hugely disappointed and frustrated to hear about the final decision to close the central reservation. Over the last 18 months, we have tried our very best to raise awareness of the issue and make the views and ideas of local people heard. We have continued to pursue our councillors, Highways & finally the Executive Councillor for Infrastructure, highlighting our concerns for the area.

“We feel this isn’t the best solution for Beeston Hill and worry that will have to put up with negative consequences as a result. The BHCA will continue to monitor the situation once the closure is complete and will give regular feedback to the Council.

“We might not have won this one, but we arill strongly believe that local people need to be involved in big community decisions and that our opinions matter.”

 

Photo: Google

 

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