By David Spereall, local democracy reporter
A Calverley & Farsley councillor has accused the city council of “steadfastly doing nothing” to repair a road previously likened to the surface of the moon.
Councillor Andrew Carter (Cons) said he was “disgusted” at what he says is a lack of action to repair and improve Stanningley Bottom.
Damage and potholes in the surface led Cllr Carter to compare the road to the moon’s surface in June last year.
Stanningley Bottom’s layout has also drawn criticism since it was redesigned in 2016.
Two European-style roundels – unmarked circular junctions where drivers are encouraged to slow down and give way – are in place on the road. But they’ve been accused of confusing drivers and increasing the risk of accidents.
The council’s outer west community committee – which consists of Conservative, Green and Labour councillors – agreed on the need for action at the junction last summer. They said the junction needed a £100,000 scheme including full road resurfacing plus additional road markings and crossing enhancements.
Those calls were echoed a month later by Labour councillors on the inner west community committee, with highways engineers agreeing to take on board councillors’ comments about the junction and look into the issues and report back.
But nothing more has been heard on the issue since then.
Speaking this week, Councillor Carter said: “It is my view that the lack of action is completely unacceptable. The highways department have steadfastly done nothing. The road surface has deteriorated, making the road markings almost invisible, and drivers are now confused over who has right of way and who gives way.
“Residents and constituents are bewildered by the lack of action and I am disgusted. It definitely is now, but it has been for some time, an issue of safety.
“All around the city, we see roadworks causing congestion and gridlock, costing millions of pounds, yet the council still seem incapable of dealing with issues like this which are equally as important.”
Councillor Carter added: “Stanningley Bottom, with its junction with Richardshaw Lane, are key access areas, and to be frank it is unfair to residents and local businesses that this hasn’t been sorted out. It gives a very bad impression of the City of Leeds.”
The council administration was contacted on Wednesday for comment, but had not yet responded at the time of writing (Friday).
WLD has featured the issues surrounding Stanningley Bottom since they were first raised by residents and motorists in 2016.
“ drivers are now confused over who has right of way and who gives way.” says the councillor. If that’s the case they don’t know the basic rule of give way to the right which applies at all junctions.
Yes the road surface is poor but the issue of confusion is down to ill informed drivers.
This junction needs traffic lights. If you are coming down Richardshaw Lane, it is a blind corner to the right. It is impossible to know that it is safe to move off without being hit by someone going straight towards Bradford at speed.
Its about time Leeds Highways was brought to task it is obvious that the department is not fit for purpose and needs someone in charge who knows what they are doing
Before the council implemented this awful layout the give way point on Richardshaw Lane was in line with the corner of the pub/restaurant building, with a box junction to turn right from Stanningley up onto Richardshaw Lane. It would be better restoring that layout but ensure traffic queuing to turn right can’t hold up traffic wishing to continue straight on towards Bramley.
This needs urgent attention. To say its on busy bus route this is far from safe to say the least.
Why not install traffic lights which would be the logical thing to do. Leeds council is playing with peoples lives at the moment.