PROPOSALS to implement a 20mph zone in an area of Great Horton Road has been approved by Bradford Council.

The measures will also see a series of traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps, installed on the busy street.

The move was welcomed by local councillors, but there were concerns that existing traffic calming measures in the area were “crumbling” and urgently needed fixing.

In February Bradford Council announced it was planning to introduce a 20mph limit to a number of streets around Great Horton Road in an attempt to reduce accidents and anti-social driving.

The 20mph zone will include the streets between Horton Grange Road, Great Horton Road, Legrams Lane and Shearbridge Road.

As well as the new speed limit there will be two speed plateaus on Great Horton Road - either side of the junction with Summerville Road.

Another would be installed on Shearbridge Road, near the mini roundabout. There would be a series of speed bumps on Shearbridge Road, and speed “thumps” on Summerville Road.

Members of the Council’s Bradford West Area Committee approved the works, which are expected to cost around £50,000, at a meeting on Thursday evening.

A report to the committee revealed that in the last five years there have been a total of 33 casualties in the area; seven serious and 26 slight, of which 12 were pedestrians.

Nine of the casualties were aged 16 year old or under.

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Car travelling at 20mph were much less likely to cause a fatal accident than cars travelling at 30mph - the report claimed.

At added: “The start of the 20mph zone on Great Horton Road corresponds with the Summerville road junction which has been a site for concern for a number of years.

“20mph zones have been shown to have a positive impact on people’s physical and mental health, their quality of life, community cohesion, and are important in encouraging sustainable and healthy modes of transport.”

The meeting heard that 12 people had objected to the plans, claiming the work would increase congestion and that speed bumps could damage cars.

But Highways Officer Andrew Smith told members that this was out of 900 properties that had been consulted.

Councillor Nazam Azam (Lab) represents the City ward, which includes this area.

He said: “We’ve been waiting for measures like this for many, many years, especially on Great Horton Road.”

However he raised “real concern” about the state of existing yellow road humps on Summerville Road and Woodhead Road.

Addressing Mr Smith he said: “I know so much of your budget has been taken away, and the blame should really be placed on Central Government for that, but the existing bumps are disintegrating into a really bad state.”

Councillor Aneela Ahmed (Lab), another City Councillor, said: “We need to get these done, and done as soon as possible."

A survey by the Telegraph & Argus asked readers whether they thought more 20mph zones should be introduced in Bradford. Of the 505 people who responded, 59 per cent supported the roll out of more 20mph zones.