Yorkshire one-way street unenforceable for years due to council blunder

In 2018, planning permission was granted for Harron Homes’ Oaklands Heath development of 95 homes at Birchencliffe with access from Yew Tree Road and Burn Road in Huddersfield. This came with a condition known as a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) that said the developer had to construct a short one-way stretch towards the Southern end of Burn Road.

The aim of the TRO was to mitigate the increasing number of vehicles using Burn Road as a result of the housing development.

Plans for the TRO were advertised in 2018 and received one objection. However, the council failed to address the objection at the time and therefore didn’t follow the formal process required before implementing the TRO.

The one-way system was put in place regardless but this meant it legally had no standing with the police unable to take action against any drivers who use the section of road in the wrong direction. This forced the council to re-advertise the TRO proposal last year giving the public another chance to voice their opinions.

Once again, a single objection was received which said: “The best solution is for there to be an exception for access to Nos. 1-55 Burn Road at the junction to Woodlands Court along with a mini roundabout at that point.

“Remove the excess of pavement to the east of Burn Road, thus allowing more parking on Burn Road for the removal of any parking from Burn Road from the junction with Halifax Road to the widening of Burn Road by the Door to number 6 Burn Road.

“An example of such exceptional permission is Taylor Hall Lane off A62 Leeds Road has signs both ends saying Access for residents only.

“The junction of Burn Road with Halifax Road is extremely dangerous whether one is accessing Burn Road or Halifax Road which I believe would best be closed if there was the exception for residents to access from the Woodlands Court Junction as I suggest.”

The objection was discussed at today’s meeting of the council’s Cabinet Committee but the panel opted to unanimously support the officer’s recommendation to uphold the one-way system, which will now be legally enforceable. When it came to making the decision, Coun Graham Turner said: “Our hands are pretty much tied” because the TRO had been a condition previously agreed with a housing developer.

The councillor also pointed out that the one-way system had been operating effectively for a number of years.

Jane Carter, a Burn Road resident for over 50 years, attended the meeting and said she was disappointed by the officer’s recommendation and spoke of the wider issues faced by drivers in the area. She spoke of the “serious dangers” to vehicles making the very narrow right turn onto Burn Road and suggested that yellow hatchings were put in place to stop vehicles blocking the access to Burn Road.

Coun Adam Gregg was concerned that the no entry sign that restricts residents’ access to Burn Road would create more of a problematic traffic flow. He asked if consideration could be given to adding an “except for access” condition to allow residents to access the Burn Road hamlet from the Grimescar Road direction.

Council officers took on board the suggestions made at the meeting and explained that a review of the parking and waiting restrictions between the Ainley Top Roundabout and Cavalry Arms junction would be taking place. Whilst Burn Road isn’t included in the review at present, an officer said he could request its addition.