Demonstrators angry that new safety measures have failed to be included in a £6 million road repair scheme are planning to blight the road's re-opening.

Residents of the Brow area of Haworth and the village action group will voice their anger when Worth Valley councillor Mike Young officially opens Hebden Road between Haworth and Oxenhope on Saturday.

They are incensed that Bradford Council bosses failed to introduce road safety measures at the junction of Hebden Road and Brow Top Road, where visibility is poor.

Rose Greenwell, who has been helping spearhead the campaign, said throughout the time contractors had been repairing the road, residents had been pressing for the measures.

"We believe they are vitally important but nothing has been done. We have organised a demonstration and invite everyone to come along who feels the Council has let us down," she said.

"We believe the Council had an ideal opportunity to put in the safety measures while they were doing the road. There is already more traffic on the road to Oxenhope and more houses are being built in the Brow area. It's bound to increase traffic and make the junction more dangerous."

One of the measures they are calling for is a gateway system in the road to slow traffic down as it approaches from the direction of the Three Sisters Hotel. The road has been closed for repairs for 14 months and was due to open in January. Oxenhope traders have complained that the closure has hit takings.

And Paul Howarth, of Howarth Industrial Saws in Hebden Road, said his firm was forced to relocate after being stranded between the main project to repair the road to the east of the factory and other road works to the west.

Councillor Latif Darr, chairman of the Council's Transportation, Planning and Design committee, said he would seek information from highways officers about Mrs Greenwell's complaints and speak to her on Saturday.

Traffic is expected to start again from midday on Saturday after a ribbon cutting ceremony by Coun Young.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.