The future of travel in Calderdale and the wider West Yorkshire region is being discussed by the Council’s Cabinet, as members consider two new documents to guide decision-making and investment in transport at a local and regional level.
As the strategic transport authority for the region, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority must develop and regularly renew a Local Transport Plan (LTP) for their area. LTPs look at transport needs and challenges and set out different ways to tackle those challenges.
Calderdale Council is also producing a borough specific Calderdale Transport Strategy to make sure that local priorities are set out and well understood. This will sit alongside the regional LTP as produced by the Combined Authority.
At the meeting of Calderdale Council’s Cabinet on Monday 9 February, members will consider the latest draft versions of both the Calderdale Transport Strategy and West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan, both of which look at transport and travel plans up to the year 2040.
Both documents have been developed to look at the future of travel and how an effective transport network can enable growth, improve connectivity, support climate action, and enhance people’s quality of life.
At a West Yorkshire level, the vision is to create the Weaver network, a leading transport network that embeds sustainable travel and enables the economy to grow.
The draft West Yorkshire LTP proposes to ensure that the right transport is available in the right place, at the right time so that the Weaver Network can take people where they need to be and pave the way for economic growth and sustainable mode shift. It sets out policies to achieve a network that works for everyone, embracing a streets for everyone approach through connecting key places and providing the right modes of transport for the right journeys.
The Calderdale Transport Strategy (CTS) has been developed to reflect the West Yorkshire priorities but focuses on what matters most for Calderdale. The policies are designed to help achieve the borough’s vision of a connected, healthy, and thriving Calderdale and ensure that the borough is well-positioned to benefit from future investment.
The draft CTS responds to local challenges and opportunities and reflects extensive consultation, with recognition of key priorities such as the electrification of the Calder Valley line and the maintenance and resilience of the highway network.
Members are being asked to recommend to Full Council that the borough specific CTS is adopted and the regional LTP is endorsed, and note the joint opportunities for delivery, programme development and shared monitoring of progress.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, Cllr Sarah Courtney, said:
“Calderdale is a place of contrasts, from our busy town centres to our rural communities and stunning hilltops and valleys. Our diversity makes us distinctive, but it can also make travel more challenging, so we need to consider how we can support better journeys for everyone, maintaining and improving our existing infrastructure and helping people get where they need to go more easily.
“The Calderdale Transport Strategy and West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan work together to look at opportunities for local transport development, and how these fit in with regional ambitions and investment. It’s important that the plans are updated to reflect our changing travel habits and our awareness of the climate emergency.
“The way we travel matters, it can unlock social opportunities and reduce inequalities through improved access to work, training or education. As wider regional transport investment comes forward, it is vital that Calderdale is well-positioned to benefit, and our ambitions for growth are supported and strengthened.”
The Calderdale Strategy and West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan will be discussed at Calderdale Council’s Cabinet meeting on Monday 9 February at Halifax Town Hall from 4pm. The meeting will also be live streamed online at https://calderdale.public-i.tv/core/portal/home(external link)