ROAD users in Shepley are celebrating after their petition won favour with Kirklees Council road chiefs.

Villagers had long complained that Lea Head, an unmade road serving a popular car park, was heavily pot-holed and dangerous for pedestrians and drivers alike.

But local councillors had refused to act on the basis that if one un-adopted road was tarmacked they would have to fork out for many more.

But less than two months after a 60-name strong petition was handed in, campaign leader Kirkburton Parish Councillor, Michelle Atkinson, received notice that the revamp would now go ahead.

She said: “This is great news, it’s not any old un-adopted road, it is a road that is in daily use.

“It’s not just a route for cars but for cyclists and parents with young children and pushchairs.

“This road is clearly used by many members of the community both in Shepley and beyond,” she commented.

“It was partially tarmacked a number of years ago by the builder of two new houses, who failed to tarmac up to the large car park serving the tennis, bowling, croquet and football clubs, Shepley First School and Preschool.

“Some 120 people use it everyday, and complain about the state of the huge potholes which are damaging vehicles.

“The state of the road also is causing problems for the two residents whose houses border the road.”

Ward councillor Andrew Cooper echoed Clr Atkinson’s thoughts.

He said: “The council have caved in because they didn’t want it to go the highways committee .It’s all about the politics of Kirkburton but it’s good because it means people get the right outcome.

“It’s a well used road and really should have been sorted out when the houses were being built there, but this is something that the council failed to do,” Clr Cooper added.

But Kirkburton Area Committee chief, Clr Adrian Murphy, denied that any party politics influenced the decision. “There hasn’t been a U-turn, some other resources have come to light under the Safer Routes to Schools scheme, and we welcome that.

“What we have tried to do in our budget is cover some of the un-adopted roads by making them reasonable, not with tarmac, but trying to get up to a better standard. If a load of money came in for un-adopted roads I would be first in the queue,” he added.