A BRAMHOPE councillor has backed Pool in Wharfedale Parish Council's calls for improvements to be made to the busy Dyneley Arms crossroads.

Councillor Clive Fox, replying to suggestions made about lorry traffic in Pool last week, says Bramhope has already been investigating the possibility of adding a right hand filter turn at the junction.

But while in favour in principle of making improvements, Coun Fox warns that there are a number of hurdles to overcome before that could happen.

He said: "We have had correspondence with the Leeds Highways people over many years about the possibility of incorporating a right hand turn filter light, feeding traffic coming from Leeds down Pool Bank, which would allow a freer flow of traffic at the junction.

"We have even had site visits to discuss the options but we have learned that what sounds like a simple idea to solve the problem is not as straight forward as sounds.

"We are advised that the biggest obstacle is the width of the road, which does not meet the minimum highway standards for a filter light.

"Whilst the present road will accommodate two lanes of cars queuing for the lights its width doesn't allow HGVs, buses or similar large vehicles to line up in parallel.

"Highways say that and the filter light would require a widening or the road at that point and this is where the costs start to mount."

Changes to the A660 at the crossroads would be complicated by the steep gradient of Pool Bank, and Bramhope has also been told that there is a very high concentration of utility pipes and wires under the road there.

That means any changes to the junction could involve extra costs if any of those had to be moved.

Leeds City Council allocates money for road safety projects on a priority basis based on the number of serious injuries or deaths at each site, and Coun Fox says that presents yet another difficulty.

"Following work they did at the Dyneley Arms some years ago the serious injury and fatality rate is thankfully much reduced, so the junction is not particularly a priority site on safety grounds," he said.

But he is hopeful that the Highways department will re-consider their opinion of the site.

He said: "I would like them to see if there is any way they could relax the strict width criteria as a way around the problem - particularly now the road has recently been de-trunked and become the council's responsibility."

Pool Council raised the issue of 'teaming up' with Bramhope on making improvements to the crossroads during a wider debate about traffic and the effect of an Otley lorry ban on Pool.