Elland Residents and Business owners have been contacting their local councillors and asking the council to re-consider the recently imposed Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).
One Elland resident told Radio Elland that he had concerns over how the TRO was introduced ‘The legally required consultation wasn’t carried out properly, our views were not listened to and now my business struggling’.
Another resident spoke to us about the TRO increasing speeds ‘Huddersfield road is home to two children’s play areas, the TRO has led to vehicles travelling faster and i’m worried about my children. It is no longer safe.’
Some residents have joined together and borrowed a speed gun from a local business. ‘After being fobbed of we took some advice, and decided we needed to gather evidence. We have obtained a speed gun and have conducted a number of community speed-watch sessions. We have recorded vehicles travelling at 50 miles per hour near the park, the area is signposted 30mph. We have also recorded that 65% of vehicles using Huddersfield road are travelling above the 30mph speed limit’
In the town centre Business owners are venting their frustration ‘My business is ruined, people cant park outside my shop, I rely on passing customers and since the future high street works, no one can pass’.
‘I don’t visit Elland anymore, i can’t park and i’m disabled, i can’t walk far enough to get to the shops’ said another resident.
All three local Councillors are on the case but residents say ‘So far nothing tangible has happened, we contacted the councillors, they’re trying to help. We’ve contacted the TRO team and the person in charge of the TRO at Calderdale Council, Assistant Director Adrian Gill. They are not answering our emails.’
‘We need the Council to re-think what they are doing in Elland, we need them to listen to us, we need them to change course before we go out of business.