A DECISION by Yorkshire Water to close a road in Mirfield for about three weeks has come under fire.
Yorkshire Water will close Wellhouse Lane, Mirfield, on January 6 while repairs are carried out to a sewage pipe in nearby Dun- bottle Lane.
But the closure move has been branded high-handed, short-sighted and ill- thought-out by Clr Martyn Bolt, chairman of Kirklees Council's Mirfield Area Committee.
"I have seen no evidence of any work done to identify which roads people would use instead.
"All this will do is create rat-runs on other residential streets."
Clr Bolt added: "The problems Yorkshire Water has caused need resolving not moving."
A spokesman for Yorkshire Water said: "Since we began working on Dunbottle Lane, which has been closed for safety reasons while work is in progress, commuters have been using Wellhouse Lane as an unofficial diversion.
"This is despite there being a clearly- signed diversion in operation.
"We have been pressed by Wellhouse Lane residents - and local councillor Kath Taylor - to shut the road, but before we did this we canvassed local opinion."
He said 179 questionnaires had been sent out to people in Wellhouse Lane and those living in streets leading from it.
"The response was almost 3 to 1 in favour of a closure," he said. "The council was informed of the response and have asked us to initiate the closure to through traffic.
"Residents will still have access and it is anticipated the road will be closed until the end of January.
"It will be shut from January 6."
