A WOMAN has been seriously injured at an accident blackspot between Otley and Burley-in-Wharfedale – just days before a lower speed limit was due to be introduced.

The 32-year-old, from Cookridge, was heading towards Otley on the A660 Ilkley Road at Maple Grange bends on Monday evening when her Peugeot 106 was in collision with a Volkswagen Passat heading in the other direction.

She was taken to Leeds General Infirmary with serious injuries where she was described yesterday as being in a stable condition. Now West Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesess.

Maple Grange bends has been the scene of several serious – and in 2007, two fatal – crashes in recent years, leading to repeated calls for a lower speed limit and other action to be taken to improve safety.

Leeds City Council (LCC) actually announced last summer that it was planning to introduce a 50 mph limit, and Councillor Ryk Downes (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) confirmed that workmen were due to begin installing the necessary poles and signs for that to happen this week.

He said: “As a ward councillor I'm very concerned to hear of another accident at this blackspot area. We don’t know, of course, at this stage if speed was a factor in this crash but it may have been and it is unfortunate it has happened just before the speed reduction was scheduled to take place.

“Several other measures, including improving draining, lighting and the camber of the road, have already been taken in response to safety concerns.

“As for the speed limit the contractor is in fact due on site this week and will start putting the poles and signs up. Once they are all in place for this area they will be ‘unbagged’ and the lower 50 mph limit will be enforceable.

“It has taken a while but there is a procedure you have to go through when you want to change a speed limit that has to be followed, you can't just change them on a whim.

“I hope the motorist’s injuries aren’t too serious and that she recovers as soon as possible, and that if there are any further lessons to be learned from this latest crash that we do so and take the necessary action.”

Councillor Graham Kirkland (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) also def-ended the city council’s record.

He said: “The instructions to put the new speed limit poles and signs in were already in place but unfortunately this accident has happened just a few days before, which is tragic.

“That was outside our control, however, and there was nothing we could do about it. I hope that those who were injured improve quickly.

“The signs should be up and in force within the next week or so. The legal process to get a change in the speed limit on any road is, unfort-unately, long winded, especially if anyone objects.”

Otley businessman and recent Conservative city council candidate Ken Creek, believes Leeds City Council has dragged its heels.

He said: “Maple Grange bends has been the site of many serious and fatal accidents over the last few years and in late 2007, after the two fatal accidents, I launched a campaign to have the speed reduced to 40 mph.

“During the 2008 city council campaign Coun Kirkland dismissed that idea, saying that he had already negotiated a reduction to 50mph. That was two years ago.

“Since then, only the drainage has been improved. The lights are still out in places, the road signs have not been changed and the speed limit is still 60mph.

“How many more accidents are we going to see before these complacent councillors actually produce what was promised two years ago?”

The Conservatives' prospective Parliamentary candidate for Leeds North West, Julia Mulligan believes the limit should be 40mph.

She said: “Firstly, I would like to wish the driver in hospital a full and speedy recovery.

“It is unacceptable that this has happened yet again. Two years ago, we were promised action and then a 50 mph limit. I have said before that I believe 50mph is not sufficient - there should be a 40mph limit, similar to the stretch of road closer to Ilkley."

Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland said: “My thoughts are with the driver and her family, it is another serious accident on this stretch of road and I hope she recovers as quickly as possible.

“I have written again to the council’s highways department about this dangerous stretch of road, as it is frustrating that it is taking so long to change the speed limit.

“I will continue to press the council to make this road as safe as possible to do all they can to prevent such accidents happening again.”

lAnyone who saw the accident on Monday is asked to contact PC 5161 Craig Blake at the Roads Policing Unit at Horsforth police station on 0113 239 5031.