Plans for car park on greenbelt put on hold

Plans for a car park on Green Belt land near Ben Rhydding Station have been put on hold by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

At the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee on Thursday 10th November, members were told that dozens of upcoming transport and infrastructure schemes needed to be reviewed in light of inflation costs.

The scheme is one of many projects across Bradford District that has been “paused” including a scheme to transform the Dudley Hill roundabout at the end of Wakefield Road and the Bradford to Shipley Corridor scheme.

Ilkley Town Councillor Ros Brown said, “Building a car park on Green Belt land wasn’t really a sensible proposal in the first place.

“I am urging the Combined Authority to focus on delivering better public transport and sustainable infrastructure projects instead of wasteful road building projects.

“A great local example would be the Wharfedale Greenway which would help alleviate the traffic pressures on local roads and give people a safe route to get around without their cars.”

The leader of the Green Party Group on Bradford Council Councillor Matt Edwards  (Tong Ward) said: “I really think this needs to be seen as an opportunity for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to take a step back and reassess what they want to prioritise the limited transport budgets on.

“This really should be the time for the West Yorkshire Mayor and our Labour-run Council to put an end to some ‘pie in the sky’ projects – like a brand new road through the Tong Valley - and concentrate on things that are going to make a real difference to help people in our region get around.

“It’s clear from the Autumn Budget that local government needs to prepare for cuts and spending millions on feasibility studies for projects that may never happen is not a sensible use of public money.”