a row over access to a textile firm is to continue after angry parish councillors raised their concerns about safety.

Neighbouring Silsden textile companies Weavestyle and Belmont Silks failed to reach agreement over access to the Weavestyle premises.

As a result of the dispute, Bradford council is soon to start work on realigning the western kerbline of Keighley Road. The work will remove the right-hand-turn lane into Belton Road from Keighley Road, thus improving the visibility for drivers exiting Weavestyle's premises.

But in a letter to Bradford council, Silsden parish council says it is not in favour of the scheme. Its reasons are:

as part of the development of the Belton Road area, developers were required to pay for the installation of the turning lane to allow traffic to turn right from Keighley Road into Belton Road in safety. The proposed modifications, therefore, contravene Bradford council's planning brief

from a safety aspect, the removal of the turning lane would put people at risk. Traffic entering Silsden would just have left a 60mph zone and would be entering a 30mph zone

emergency services regularly use the road. The new proposals could lead to traffic delays and result in crashes.

The parish council would still like to see the installation of a mini-roundabout at the Belton Road-Keighley road junction, but highways chiefs says this is not viable. "The current proposals are not acceptable," said parish chairman Paul Bromley. "It would only be a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed."

Cllr Bromley also raised the question of traffic build-up in the area and referred to a statement made in a report by Bradford council officers to their highways sub-committee on July 22. It said Bradford council anticipated that the position will worsen as land off Belton Road is developed, until the lengths of queues and road safety conditions become unacceptable with the revised arrangements. It also said further improvement work may then be necessary and may require the council to act.

Silsden parish council also asked Bradford council senior engineer Brian Hunt to meet with members, but in a written reply he says that he does not see anything to be gained by attending a parish council meeting.

Cllr Bromley also claimed that the parish council had not been kept informed of developments. "We were only made aware of the proposals when we read about them in the Keighley News," he said.

But Mr Hunt reacted by saying that the parish council was twice sent copies of reports but made no representation to Bradford council's highways sub-committee.

The row between the two companies erupted following eight years of Weavestyle vehicles exiting the company across land owned by Belmont Silks. In January, Belmont Silks locked the gates to the land, forcing Weavestyle vehicles to leave through its own gates. that exit has a blind right turn into Keighley Road and has been deemed unsafe. The cones were placed to ease traffic away from the gateway and give Weavestyle vehicles an easier exit.

The matter was due to be discussed further at last night's meeting of Silsden parish council.

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