COUNCILLORS are calling for a controversial one-way system in Otley to be ‘suspended’.

Otley Town Council leader Councillor John Eveleigh (Lab, Ashfield) raised the issue with the leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr Keith Wakefield (Lab, Kippax & Methley) last week.

His conviction that the one-way restrictions should be lifted is shared by the area’s three ward councillors, who made their position clear to the local authority’s highways department on Monday.

The cross-party call for change comes as residents affected by a linked upsurge in rat-running have repeated their pleas for action.

Householders on streets like Crow Lane, Ings Lane, Danefield Terrace and Side Copse have seen the problem soar in recent months.

Cllr Eveleigh said: “It is clear the one-way system has not worked, and rather than just tweaking things something more fundamental needs to happen. I am calling on highways to support returning Walkergate, Nelson Street and Charles Street to two-way traffic, but to do further work to mitigate the pinch-points on Walkergate.

“Over the past few weeks we have been listening to residents and gathering views regarding the problems that the one-way system has generated. In December we heard from Crow Lane and Danefield Terrace residents who have seen their single lane residential streets turned into rat-runs as people try to avoid the gridlock on Pool Road.

“Local businesses and residents are calling for action and I hope their very real concerns will now be addressed.”

Cllr Wakefield said: “It is clear we have to come up with a pragmatic solution, John has come up with some proposals which need to be considered.”

Cllr Ryk Downes (Lib Dem, Otley & Yeadon) and his Lib Dem colleagues Councillors Colin Campbell and Sandy Lay, meanwhile, are demanding similar action.

Danefield Terrace resident Ilya Romaine, for one, would welcome the change.

She said: “Ideally the whole system needs to be looked at again.”