A £5 million pound safety scheme to tackle the accident blackspot Manor Park bends could be submitted to the Government this spring.

A report produced for Ilkley councillor and Bradford Council portfolio member for transport, Anne Hawkesworth, has revealed that accident rates trebled on the windy stretch of road during 2001.

Three people died and 31 were injured in the 15 car crashes which occurred on the three-kilometre section between the end of Burley by-pass and the Little Chef last year.

Coun Hawkesworth (Cons) said those 'shocking' findings presented an overriding reason to submit a major road improvement plan to the Government.

She said: "I specifically asked for an accident analysis and mapping exercise to be carried out for this stretch of road, to see if there were any common reasons we could identify for the crashes.

"It has also looked at which parts of the bends were causing particular problems, and sought comparisons with other rural blackspots.

"The results show that the accident rates have shot up in the last 12 months - back to the levels we had before any traffic calming measures were introduced, which is frankly quite alarming.

"The report is recommending, and I will be arguing to the Council's Executive Committee, that we should be looking at drawing up a detailed, multi-million pound project as part of the Local Transport Plan to present to central Government."

If approved, the scheme would involve straightening the road at its corners at Manor Park and just past the Little Chef.

This would see completely new sections created on land currently used as fields , but owned by the Highways Agency, and would cut through what is at the moment the Little Chef's car park.

The council's head of services for Transport and Traffic, John Blackburn, worked with the police and the Highways Agency on collating the information for the review.

He said: "When the council last considered this scheme in 2000, this section of road had had five accidents a year since 1997, which wasn't considered enough to justify the work.

"But we have continued to monitor the situation and because of the number of accidents, and fatalities, since then, we now believe we can justify a bid for £5m of Government money to pay for this initiative.

"Of course, it will be considered along with many other safety schemes up and down the country, but we think the fact that we had 15 accidents last year should strengthen its case."

The report will be heard by the Executive Committee on April 9, and, if its recommendations are approved, begin a potentially length journey towards receiving funding.

In the meantime, Mr Blackburn revealed 'interim measures', including resurfacing work and a 40mph limit, would be introduced.

Ilkley Road residents have been calling for measures to try to slow down drivers for more than a decade. An original plan to re-align the bends was floated by the Department of Transport in 1990, but in the end a £60,000 road marking scheme won the day in 1995.

The chairman of Burley Community Council and Manor Park Safety Committee member, Bruce Speed, said he was delighted at the new development.

"It's not just the accidents and access problems which have been affecting their quality of life, but also the increased traffic flow.

"So any improvements are very welcome indeed."

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