Highways officers rule Bramley street 'low risk' despite serious crash

Two cars smashed into a house on Rudolph Street, near Stanningley Fire Station, on September 28.

Pictures showed one car overturned and another crashed into a garden wall which had partly collapsed.

Highways officers have now revealed that one car was driving at speed along adjoining Fairfield Avenue and failed to stop at the give way marking.

At the time, the resident of the damaged property called for speeds bumps to be introduced on the crossroads of Rudolph Street.

He said: "Cars speed past the houses every day at least four to five times, it's not going to be long before someone gets killed."

Bramley and Stanningley councillor Kevin Ritchie wrote to the Highways Officer suggesting traffic calming measures for the street.

-> Leeds to York trains suspended as 4x4 is 'blocking the railway'However, roads have to meet a criteria to grant traffic calming measures such as speed bumps or reduced speed limits.

Highways officers ruled that because only one major and one minor crash have occurred on the street in the last five years, Rudolph Street is relatively low risk and would not qualify for funding for additional traffic calming.

Coun Ritchie said: “I appreciate this does not address residents' concerns but unfortunately this is the current situation in the city due to the budgetary position, whereby only the highest priority areas are dealt with.

"We continue to press the police to do more speed enforcement across the ward, which hopefully acts as a deterrent to speeding motorists.

"I’m really sorry I cannot commit to do more to address this.”

The council's Casualty Reduction Programme rules that funding is given to locations with 10 or more recorded injury collisions, or three or more killed or seriously injured accidents, in the last five years.