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Leeds tailback toll is council's fault, court to be told
ONE of Leeds's main commuter routes is the subject of a multi-million pound lawsuit.
Several people were seriously injured in pile-ups on the A61 near Harewood, including a 25-year-old man who was left paralysed.
Insurance companies have already paid out the victims.
But they claim Leeds City Council is responsible for the chaos and allege it failed to provide warning signs for the roundabout at The Grammar School at Leeds.
The council denies liability.
The roundabout at Alwoodley Gates caused tailbacks of up to a mile-and-a-half when the 18.5m school opened in 1997.
There were no signs to warn drivers of queuing traffic which caused dozens of crashes on the busy road, the insurance companies will claim.
A bend between Harewood and Alwoodley was a particular blackspot, where cars regularly slammed into long queues of traffic, it will also be alleged.
The row centres on one specific case in October 1997, when five people were seriously injured after a Peugeot 206 hit queuing traffic at the danger spot between the school and Harewood.
One passenger, the 25-year-old from Harrogate, was left paralysed.
The insurers claim that because the authority's traffic planning was flawed, it should provide the compensation.
Accusations include negligent planning of the Alwoodley crossroads and roundabout and a failure to install warning signs.
Council traffic planners only installed 'Queuing Traffic' warning signs some years after the accident.
A Leeds City Council spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that the council is denying any liability for this accident and, as legal proceedings are currently ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this time."
The case, which is due to begin on Tuesday at Leeds High Court, is scheduled to last 15 days.
The school merged with Leeds Girls High School in 2008.
The road planning has now been completely reworked, including a slip road leading into the school and a "no right turn" sign at Alwoodley Gates.
Dr Mark Bailey, headmaster of The Grammar School at Leeds, said: "Obviously, we're aware of the accident which happened so close to the school, but we haven't been involved in the case itself."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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