Cameras to be installed at hazardous junction

Speed cameras will soon be installed at a notorious Huddersfield junction, Kirklees Council has confirmed.

The Sovereign junction in Shepley, on which a pub, petrol station and a 60mph road sit, is widely considered to be an accident blackspot, and has been the site of dozens of crashes, including two fatalities.

A petition circulated by Conservative councillor John Taylor, which demanded council action at the location and neighbouring Carr Lane/Cross Lane junction, has surpassed 3,000 signatures.

Now the local authority has agreed the site qualifies for a speed camera, which it said would be installed over the summer.

Campaigners had also feared a proposed housing development of 123 homes in nearby Upper Cumberworth would increase traffic at the junction, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Developer Vivly Living said the company had worked closely with residents and amended plans following consultation to "alleviate fears".

A council spokesperson said: "In 2025 residents in Shepley raised serious safety concerns about a major junction in the village and submitted a petition calling for action.

"I am pleased to confirm that the council is currently working closely with the Safety Camera Partnership to identify the best locations for installing two new speed cameras.

"Funding will be released in April, and installation of the cameras is expected to take place over the summer."

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