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.