Residents in Cullingworth want to hold a referendum on whether to close down a waste landfill site in the village.

Ten residents of Heather Bank Close have asked the parish council to organise a poll on the future of the Manywells waste tip. They want to see if there is public backing for a move to close down the site, which is nearing capacity.

The call comes as residents in nearby Denholme face the prospect of a new tip at Buck Park - only half a mile or so from Manywells (see story on page 2).

People living close to the tip at Manywells Brow have complained of unpleasant smells coming from the site. They also claim piles of rubbish are now visible above the surface of the site and that on occasions it is not being covered up at night with a layer of soil.

Speaking at this week's parish council meeting, chairman John Brigg said he had already put the wheels in motion for a referendum.

In accordance with the Local Govern-ment Act of 1972, a public meeting has been arranged at 7.30pm tomorrow (Saturday) night in the village hall. Cllr Brigg said: "I have sent details of the meeting to the chief executive at Bradford council who has to provide for a referendum. We have to put the referendum in a form which is capable of a yes or no answer."

Cllr John Coultous added: "Three people have contacted me about the tip and they say they are not covering the site up at the end of the night."

Cllr Elvin Brame also said that the operators of the tip were 'their own worst enemies'.

Bradford-based company Wastepoint received the go-ahead for the tip in 1993 and it was expected to have a five-year life span. This was extended again by planning officials who provided Wastepoint with a licence until 2001. Wastepoint MD Russell Sikora was unavailable for comment this week.

Parish councillors also recommended approval of a planning application lodged by Wastepoint to use a synthetic membrane to cap the site instead of clay.

Residents in nearby Denholme are also in the process of holding a referendum on the planning application to turn Buck Park Quarry into a landfill site. The town council is holding a meeting tomorrow night in the Mechanics Institute, two days before the application is due to go before Shipley area planning sub-committee.

Cullingworth parish council is calling on Bradford council to carry out a traffic survey. The parish council has sent a letter to road-safety officers in Bradford asking for an assessment of traffic flowing into Cullingworth.

Cllr Brigg said: "The village gateway we have already has been very successful and in view of that we would like an appraisal of other approaches into the village. We are asking traffic engineers to provide a professional opinion about all the approach roads and the possibility of implementing more speed-calming measures."

The parish council's call comes in the light of a traffic survey carried out by police on Haworth Road. Announcing the findings of the report, Insp David Drucquer said while there is not a problem with speeding in the 60mph zone, there is a considerable number of drivers speeding in the 30mph area. He said: "Of the 26,000 cars which passed through the 30mph area between Feb-ruary 2 and February 8, the vast majority were exceeding the speed limit."

Insp Drucquer added that the average speed in the 30mph zone was 38.3mph, with in the region of 10,000 travelling at 40mph.

The parish council hope to use the findings of the report to bolster any future calls for more speed calming measures.

A "village gateway' was installed recently on a stretch of Bingley Road between Church Street and Cow House Bridge to deter speeding motorists.

After the theft of flagstones from The Dell the parish council is also in agreement with highways officers at Bradford council that the area should be tarmacked.

Two men from Denholme have been charged with stealing flag stones from the area.

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