Controversial plans to reduce congestion at Saltaire roundabout have gone back to the drawing board because of mass public opposition.

Work on the Shipley junction is not expected to be completed until 2011.

The shelved plans, put forward to the Regional Transport Board, included building a loop road on the site of the Shell petrol station.

Senior transport planner at Bradford Council, Fiona Limb, said at a public meeting yesterday: “Because of continuing public concerns about the plan we have decided to go back to the drawing board. We are broadening the scheme to consider public transport issues.”

A working group, consisting of residents, councillors, politicians and representatives from Bradford Council’s highways department has been set up to come up with new ideas and designs.

Miss Limb said: “So far the group has met twice and has agreed a set of objectives.

“No designs have been put forward as yet. We’re probably looking at 2011 – it’s a long process.”

A selection of preferred options will go out to wider public consultation, and one or two of those will be considered by the full Council.

In a question from the floor, a member of the public said: “It must be a year ago I went to a meeting the same as this.

“Can we be given a guarantee that the same isn’t going to happen to this scheme that happens to all the schemes in Bradford – they just don’t happen.”

Miss Limb said: “It is going forward, we have been given the money to implement the scheme and we will implement it.”

Speaking after the meeting, at St Peter’s Church, Moorhead Lane, Councillor Martin Love (Green, Shipley) said: “We need to make sure it is made safer and traffic lights are the only way we can do that.

“It has taken so long up to now, a little bit longer is neither here nor there – it’s important we get it right.

“It really should have been sorted out before the Bingley relief road opened in 2006.

“I’m not holding my breath for 2011.”

email: tanya.orourke @telegraphandargus.co.uk