COUNCILLORS will this week step up the fight against speeding motorists in Huddersfield district villages.
Kirklees Council is due to invest thousands of pounds in new equipment to persuade drivers to slow down as they enter residential areas around Denby Dale and Kirkburton.
Councillors have been asked to commit £24,000 for Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) which show motorists how fast they are travelling.
The devices, which can be moved to different sites, also store records on average speed, allowing officials to decide if more anti-speeding measures are needed.
The council’s Mirfield, Denby Dale and Kirkburton Committee will decide this week whether to go ahead with the plan.
Kirkburton councillors want to spend £14,000 on two devices which would be moved between eight sites in the ward every three months.
Among the locations that have already been identified are:
Barnsley Road, in Flockton
Thunderbridge Lane, Thunderbridge
Norton Lane, in Stocksmoor
Clr Christine Smith explained why each site would benefit from a SID.
The Kirkburton Conservative said: “When motorists go into Flockton they put their foot down when they pass the Green Dragon and go whizzing round the corner towards West Bretton and at Thunderbridge people are speeding past the pub at 50mph or 60mph even though it’s a 30mph zone.
“At the top end of Norton Terrace there have been a lot of complaints about speeding so that’s a good spot for one of the devices.”
Clr Smith added that Kirkburton residents are concerned about road safety: “Speeding is a real problem in rural areas because people think there’s no-one on the road – but there are a lot of people on the road,” she said. “We get a lot of complaints about speeding, that’s why it will be good to be able to move the devices around. When people see how fast they are going they will slow down.”
Denby Dale councillors plan to invest £10,000 on a SID which will be moved between four sites every three months. The device will be placed at Chapel Lane and Upper Lane in Emley and at two points on Penistone Road in Birdsedge.
Clr Jim Dodds, who represents the area on Kirklees, believes the two villages need a SID. The Denby Dale Tory said: “We’ve had numerous complaints from Birdsedge and Emley about speeding.
“In Birdsedge there’s a problem with HGVs which use the downward slope of the road to build up speed.
“There are constant complaints of traffic speeding through Emley as well.
“These speed indicators will be welcome because we will be able to move them around the ward and they will build up a database on speeding traffic.”
Clr Dodds added that another village in the ward could be included in the plan.
He said: “We’re also looking at Clayton West because there was a speed camera there which was burnt out and has never been replaced.”
Councillors will decide on the proposed spending at the Mirfield, Denby Dale and Kirkburton Committee at 7.30pm at Huddersfield Town Hall on Monday. Residents are welcome to attend and speak at the meeting.