Planners have vowed to try to amend their proposals for controversial changes at the notoriously congested Saltaire roundabout.

Plans revealed in March were for a £4.3 million scheme that would replace the roundabout with traffic lights.

But senior transport planner for Bradford Council Fiona Limb told residents at a heated public meeting tonight that plans to remove a right turn into Moorhead Lane had received fierce opposition.

She told a gathering of about 200 people, at St Peter’s Church, Moorhead Lane, there had been 298 written responses and the “headline concern” was that the proposal involved banning traffic from Bingley Road East turning right into Moorhead Lane.

“It was the overwhelming key concern which is why we are working very hard to reinstate that turning,” she said.

“We want to improve the safety of the junction for all users. At the moment the roundabout is a blight on the World Heritage Site.”

Concerns raised by people from the floor included residents afraid their roads would be used as rat runs by motorists trying to avoid the new signals, and concerns about the effectiveness of proposed traffic calming measures.

The designs were produced by a working group of residents, Council highway and planning officials and staff at Metro, the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority.

Shipley Green Party Councillor Kevin Warnes, who is part of the steering group, told the meeting: “The figures we have seen from (consultancy firm) Arup suggest the number of accidents at the junction will be cut by half if this plan goes ahead. Journey times will be slightly reduced.

“All the rat running should reduce, and overall pedestrian journey times around the junction will be reduced.”

An updated proposal will go before the area committee on June 30.