The campaign to tame the traffic in Northowram and Shelf stepped up in January 2022, when Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Greeen Party, joined Martin Hey and local residents at Stone Chair roundabout to launch a petition calling for the junction to be made safer.
After speaking with local residents, Martin said, ‘People living near the roundabout are really concerned about the volume of traffic and especially how quick drivers are approaching the junction. It makes no sense that some of the roads approaching the junction are 40mph when this is still a residential area.’
‘Our petition calls for a 30mph zone to be created all around the roundabout, safer crossing points for pedestrians and the enforcement of existing parking rules on Denholme Gate Road.
Carla Denyer said, ‘It’s great speaking to campaigners like Martin who are taking the time to listen to residents and understand their issues.’
The campaign comes as those living around the Cooper Lane roundabout continue to see regular accidents at the junction, one of which saw a police car badly damaged. Calderdale Council have admitted that they still don’t know when they will publish a report detailing possible solutions to the problems at the junction — despite an initial promise to publish in 2020.
And people living in Stump Cross continue to speak out about the pollution and danger they face on a daily basis, with rising traffic levels and worn road markings of particularly concerning.