STEETON’S council boss has demanded an end to delays painting yellow lines on a congested village road.

District councillors have backed the call from Steeton-with-Eastburn Parish Council chairman David Mullen for action on the “nightmare” delay.

Cllr Mullen said funding was available for the planned parking restrictions on the top stretch of Thornhill Road, but an acceptable design had not been finalised.

He said: “It’s taken two years to get to this point.

"The road is a nightmare. I want it sorted out.”

The yellow lines, running along one side of the top stretch of Thornhill Road near the Keighley Road junction, will form the final phase of restrictions aimed at improving traffic flow.

For many years the road, which leads into a large housing estate, has been plagued with parked cars belonging to patients and staff at nearby Airedale Hospital.

The problem has worsened because a new estate of more than 200 houses is being built by Redrow Homes on a field near the top of Thornhill Road.

Redrow has given Bradford Council money to pay for the planned parking regulations, but it is understood a handful of residents objected to the original design.

Council highways officers have been working with the objectors in recent months to find solutions acceptable to all parties.

Cllr Mullen said: “We had a meeting before Christmas with the highways officers.

"It’s now mid-May, and they’re still waiting for three objectors to remove their objections."

Cllr Mullen said one major problem is vehicles parking as near to the Keighley Road junction as possible on both sides of Thornhill Road.

He added: “One woman can’t get out of her drive because of people parking.

“The big problem is when you come off Skipton Road. When a lorry comes down, there’s nowhere for cars to go.”

Cllr Andrew Mallinson, who represents Craven ward, said he had been “hounding” highways officers in recent months.

He added: “Residents have been asking for the work since at least 2013. There was a 12-month delay where they didn’t get on with designing the scheme.

“There’s never going to be a scheme that will please everyone. There are always people for and against.”

Adrian Naylor, another Craven ward councillor, agrees the issue has dragged on far too long.

“Redrow has almost finished building the estate and the Traffic Regulation Order has not gone in.”