North Wakefield Gyratory

I should like to make the following comments / objections to the proposals for the North Wakefield Gateway.

I am disappointed that the consultation period is so short and is taking place during the peak holiday season when many residents and people who work in the area are away.   I would urge the Council to extend the consultation and arrange for public meetings where the proposals can be fully discussed.

The proposal to make a bus lane on 340 metres of Leeds Road is ill-thought through.   This will involve narrowing footpaths along Leeds Road and Northgate which are already too narrow.  These footpaths, particularly outside QEGS, have to cater for large numbers of school children and are already inadequate.   This is a real safety concern.

The pelican crossing on Leeds Road which serves St John’s School is to be moved further away from the school.  This will increase danger to the parents and children who may be tempted to take short cuts.

Because of the proposed bus lane, traffic which currently turns down Westfield Road is being re-routed via Saville Street and College Grove Road.   This route is completely unsuitable for the considerable volume of traffic which currently uses Westfield Road to access Bishopgarth and other locations in the vicinity.  This new route is narrow, has speed bumps and parking on one side of the road.  By re-routing traffic that would have gone down Westfield Road, large numbers of vehicles will be taken further into the city, increasing congestion in the area.

The proposed bus lane is so short that it will not make a significant difference to the movement of buses in the area.   It will, however, have a detrimental effect on the pedestrians having to use narrower footpaths.

In my opinion these proposals would exacerbate rather than alleviate the traffic issues in the area and I would strongly urge you to reconsider them.

H Green, Leeds Road

(full name and address supplied)