A MINI-ROUNDABOUT in the centre of a village is leaving drivers in a whirl.
Colne Valley MP Kali Mountford says the roundabout in Slaithwaite is confusing and has called for it to be changed.
The Labour MP believes the roundabout connecting Britannia Road with Market Place and Carr Lane is poorly marked.
Ms Mountford said: “I’ve been getting lots of letters from residents who don’t want this roundabout at all.
“There’s a whole lot of signs, but none of them indicate that a roundabout is coming up. Also, the zebra crossing is too close to the junction.”
Ms Mountford added: “Anybody who is new to the area gets very, very confused. We get gridlock at busy times of the day and everyone gets upset because they don’t know who is supposed to give way.”
The MP wants Kirklees Council to act. She said: “We want the council to do a proper check into this. Safety must come first.”
Alan Knight, from the Lingards Neighbourhood Watch group, also agrees that action is needed.
He said: “The roundabout is dangerous to motorists and pedestrians and I have witnessed countless near-misses.
“It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt.
“In the last two years I’ve made many suggestions, which have been totally ignored by Kirklees.
“Unfortunately the council has a culture of intransigence and the problem is getting worse because of the new houses on Hill Top.
“But even at this late stage I hope that common sense prevails and Kirklees looks at these matters once again and makes the necessary alterations to make this junction safe.”
The Examiner asked the council’s Cabinet member responsible for highways, Clr David Hall, for a comment.
None was forthcoming.
