RESIDENTS have demanded action on the 'horrendous' traffic problems which they claim will lead to someone being killed in their community.

Highways officials at a public meeting attended by 19 Yeadon people last week, gave details of a possible traffic calming scheme which included two speed cushions down the notorious Gill Lane and one down Warm Lane.

The officials hope to persuade housing developers to foot the bill for the measures, although they are under no legal obligation to do so, after planning permission was granted in principle for 64 homes on the former British Gas depot off Gill Lane. The public meeting had been called to discuss the traffic implications of the development.

But many residents felt that the proposed measures did not go far enough and said that wider traffic issues throughout the area needed to be considered. A further public meeting to discuss those problems with city councillors and highways officials is due to be held within the next month.

One resident, Michael Emsley, said: "Gill Lane is a major safety problem and someone will get killed. Groups of kids walk up there and one day they will get hit and will be wiped out - we have already seen it, as near as damn it.

"What we need are things to slow the speed of traffic down there."

Residents also claimed that a traffic and speed count for the area - which showed that statistically there was no need for traffic measures - was done in the wrong place.

They also said that the development would lead to traffic flow problems in the area and would have implications for the safety on the A65. In addition, Gill Lane was often overgrown in the summer, only allowing one lane of traffic to pass, and was poorly maintained.

Although council officers said that they were confident that they would be able to secure funding from the developer, other residents were angry that the council would not pay for the measures if the developers refused to do so.

"I thought that Leeds City Council would have had the interests of our safety at heart, but obviously they haven't," said one woman. "It's frightening that we could end up without anything."

Wider concerns about traffic problems in Yeadon in general were also raised.

Council officers will now enter into negotiations with the developer to secure the speed cushions at a cost of between £3,000 and £5,000 each. As part of the planning agreement, the developer has already been told that a £70,000 set of traffic lights must be funded by them at the Gill Lane-New Road junction.

City councillors Mike and Moira Dunn and Graham Latty, who were all at the meeting, will be kept informed of negotiations.