A COUNCILLOR has made another desperate plea for speed cameras to be installed on a Lamborghini and Ferrari “racetrack”, where cars are said to compete against each other heading from Bradford into Leeds.

The A647 (Bradford/Leeds Road) connecting the two major cities has long been the bane of local residents’ and local councillors’ lives since an alteration was made.

It previously had a roundabout at its junction with Woodhall Lane and Galloway Lane (pictured), but that was removed a number of years ago, essentially creating a long straight road from Thornbury to Pudsey.

Councillor Andrew Carter and Councillor Amanda Carter (Con, Calverley & Farsley) have campaigned ever since for the installation of fixed speed cameras.

The latter made fresh calls at Leeds City Council's outer west community committee on Monday for West Yorkshire Speed Reduction Partnership to review its criteria for accepting the need for cameras on a road.

The plea was also presented with a report that suggested complaints about speeding in and around Pudsey were also increasing.

Cllr Carter told the committee: “We are grateful for the neighbourhood policing team for doing an excellent job.

“One of the more concerning things for the Calverley and Farsley ward is the speeding on the A647. It’s not even speeding, it’s actually car racing late at night. It seems impossible to tackle.

“Police have their priorities, and sometimes they can get out there and catch them, but if (racers) see a police car there, they just won’t do it that night.

“What we need is fixed speed cameras. We need to keep the pressure on here – it affects quite a number of our constituents. It starts on the border of Bradford and goes into Leeds.”

According to the West Yorkshire Casualty Prevention Partnership, a number of criteria have to be met in order to fit general fixed speed cameras on a road.

These include at least least four collisions causing death or serious injury in the previous five years, and a survey to show at least one vehicle in 10 is exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 per cent.

Cllr Carter said: “We need to try and keep on to apply some pressure on the West Yorks Casualty Reduction (sic) Partnership and get them to change their criteria.”

A report from Leeds City Council’s localities officer, which went before members of the committee, confirmed that the number of complaints around speeding motorists had increased in west Leeds over the past year.

It added: “(We) have deployed officers on numerous occasions to these roads, including Pudsey Road, Valley Road and Kent Road.

“A number of speeding tickets have been issued to drivers breaking the speed limit and we will continue to deploy officers to these locations at every opportunity.”

The report stated that “in the last few weeks”, six people had been arrested in Pudsey while over the prescribed drink/drugs driving limit.

Cllr Andrew Carter claimed back in August 2019 that the A647 was being “used as a racetrack” and added that “it’s extremely fortunate there hasn’t been a fatality”.

Concerns were also raised in the T&A that year over drivers reportedly hurtling along Bradford Road at eye-watering speeds of more than 100mph.

They were said to be using Lamborghini and Ferrari supercars to race along the busy route.

The campaign seemed to be making progress last June, when Cllr Andrew Carter and Cllr Amanda Carter were “delighted” to find out Highways Officers were taking forward the proposals to ask West Yorkshire Speed Reduction Partnership to review their criteria for fixed speed cameras.

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This latest plea from Cllr Amanda Carter highlights the fight is not over though.

It comes as West Yorkshire Police’s Steerside Enforcement Team - the force’s dedicated initiative for tackling dangerous and anti-social driving - is undertaking a week of action in the Bradford district after an increase in reports of anti-social vehicles over the past few months.