Highways chiefs to act

A delegation of parish councillors is quietly confident that a long-running campaign has finally pushed Leeds City Council into taking action following a meeting in the city last week.

And now they are forming their own traffic calming proposals for the rest of the village to consider and give their input.

Councillor Ailsa Bearpark said: "The meeting was very successful. We had a very good discussion with the highways officers from the council which opened up the debate."

"We are now hoping to put some draft proposals to the village after the July meeting so that comments can be made and ideas given by the community."

Councillors are keen to make sure their needs are considered before the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) inspector makes any final decisions - due later this year or early 1999.

Council chairman Chris Leggatt said it was important to ensure Pool was represented now. "We are nowhere near national standards for pelican crossings for example,"he said.

And they are particularly keen that the village should benefit from a number of development plans which are in the pipeline, including a gravel extraction scheme at nearby Midgeley Farm.

Coun Leggatt said they were concerned at the incremental effect of the traffic it could generate and wanted assurances before planning permission was granted.

Benefits could include traffic lights at the junction of Main Street and the White Hart pub and better pedestrian crossings.

Other aims of the council include more speed limit signs, speed cameras and warning lights, weight restrictions for lorries and improvements to Arthington Lane - which is too narrow for the

HGVs using it as a major link

road.

Coun Bearpark said: "We certainly had the impression from the meeting that we are going to get some action - the pressure seems to be having an effect."

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