Frustration is growing over Kirklees Council's seeming unwillingness to act on pursuing a bypass for traffic-clogged Flockton village.
Now campaigners have called for a senior figure to step aside and allow someone with "energy" to negotiate the millions of pounds of funding needed for a relief road.
The comment was directed at Clr Peter McBride, deputy leader of the council, who some believe "lacks the will" to tackle the issue.
Politicians have been urged to "work as one" to find a solution.
For the second time this summer campaigners have appealed to the council to solve the Flockton issue, which can be traced back 80 years, and which locals claim is getting worse.
They say Flockton, on the outskirts of Huddersfield, has not benefited from a recently introduced 20mph speed limit and continues to be a cut through for motorists and HGVs.
And with only two visits by the police in six months they say Flockton has been left "out on a limb".
In a hard-hitting deputation delivered to councillors in Huddersfield Town Hall on behalf of Flockton Bypass Group, Dave Rawling said the lack of a bypass for Flockton had been "a problem for far too long".
And focusing on Labour veteran Clr McBride, who has previously said a bypass is a non-starter, Mr Rawling said the A637 Barnsley Road that snakes through the village was "certainly not fit to act as a major A road".
He encouraged Clr McBride to work with local parish councils, which were "fully supportive" of a bypass, as well as Conservative colleagues representing Kirkburton, Labour colleagues on Wakefield Council and Labour MPs Paula Sherriff and Mary Creagh.
Miss Sherriff, who was present with campaigners, tweeted: "I support them unequivocally in their endeavour".
Mr Rawling commented: "Working and supporting as one must surely be beneficial.
"[This has been] a problem for far too long. One you can help solve when others haven't.
"We call for a concentrated effort, with all mentioned working as one, for a final solution: a bypass for Flockton. A relief for so many."
In July Clr McBride poured cold water on campaigners' calls for action when he revealed an approach for funding for a bypass had been unsuccessful.
He added that there were "at least 20 comparable areas in Kirklees with the same sort of problems" and the council had to make a case to justify the significant investment required for a bypass.
On Wednesday night (Sept 18) Clr McBride revealed there had in fact been THREE attempts to secure funding for Flockton.
He accepted there was "a significant problem" at Flockton and that there had been "numerous efforts" since 1974 to respond to what he described as "the pinch point" that the village represents.
He outlined the various safety measures that had been introduced over more than 20 years and said that whilst narrow pavements and the proximity of passing vehicles made pedestrians feel unsafe "the perception of danger" was not reflected in accident figures.
But he said three separate attempts to secure funding had been rejected - by the West Yorkshire Transport Fund, by Transport for the North and most recently by the Department for Transport as part of its £150m pinch point fund for 2021 onwards.
The benefits of a Flockton bypass were considered to be "insufficient" in comparison with other schemes in Kirklees and West Yorkshire.
He said in future Kirklees could only seize on funding opportunities that would always be compared with problems of similar scale both in the borough and in West Yorkshire.
He added: "In the meantime remedial action will be smaller scale and localised, renewing existing measures. This is not a statement of indifference. I'm just being honest."
He said the council was willing to work with its neighbours "but within the resources and the availability of funding that we have.
"We will do what we can."
Conservatives Richard Smith and Bill Armer, whose Kirkburton ward includes Flockton, challenged Kirklees to make a bypass happen.
Clr Smith called for cross-party support to work towards a common goal.
"I doubt anyone present would disagree with the need for a bypass. It is clear this road is no longer fit for purpose."
Clr Armer quoted President John F. Kennedy and urged colleagues to do something not because it was easy, but because it was hard.
"It is now time for action. This is a regional, not merely Kirklees, issue.
"This debate is not about what some people in Flockton want, it is about what the village needs.
"The only conspicuous lack of support for action in Flockton emanates from this administration."
Speaking after the debate senior Tories vented their collective frustration.
They said the time was right for a "full corridor treatment" of the Flockton issue that took in the entirety of the route before, through and beyond the village.
That would trace the B6118 at Bradley via Liley Lane to the A637 Barnsley Road running through Flockton to West Bretton, ultimately linking to the M1.
The mooted North Kirklees Orbital Road was described as "an aspiration" that that was neither at a point to be funded nor representing a solution to traffic problems along that route from the M62 at Brighouse to the M1 at Durkar.
And they lauded Kath Middleton, a Flockton ward councillor with Kirkburton Parish Council, for enabling discussions between officers at Kirklees and Wakefield councils.
Deputy Group Leader Clr John Taylor said: "There are no schemes being worked up for any of these so-called 20 areas. If there were you would expect to see feasibility studies for them, but there is nothing.
"No schemes are being brought forward for any of these other areas.
"The A637 Barnsley Road through Flockton is an A road passing through a linear village that has narrow, dangerous pavements and high levels of traffic.
"I cannot think of another place in Kirklees that is like that.
"Every time Flockton has been mentioned or raised Clr McBride has appeared unsupportive.
"I wonder if a different Cabinet member had responsibility for that portfolio perhaps things might be different."
Clr Armer reiterated his position that the Labour administration was guilty of "a lack of political will".
Clr Taylor added: "Kirklees is not performing in terms of highways strategy because none of them are moving forward.
"It requires a fresh pair of eyes with the energy to reinvigorate the highways plans for Kirklees.
"Kirklees are lagging behind in infrastructure while other neighbouring authorities are moving forward.
"The problem is across the borough. Every scheme you look at isn't happening."
