Over £180m of investment in West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund schemes in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield is set to be approved at tomorrow’s meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
All of these schemes, which have been designed to support economic growth and the generation of new jobs, progress roads, rail facilities and infrastructure development across West Yorkshire and the City Region.
Schemes, which were supported by the Combined Authority’s Investment Committee earlier this month include the development of an outline business case for a new station at Elland. Bradford’s Forster Square Station is set to be re-developed as a high-quality, facility providing a significantly enhanced gateway to the city.
More park and ride facilities will be created at West Yorkshire rail stations including an increase from 33 spaces to almost 150 at Knottingley as well as at Apperley Bridge, Guiseley, Moorthorpe and Outwood.
If approved, the Leeds Transport Investment Programme will help enhance connections and services across the City and surrounding Region including the development of a new Leeds Bradford Airport Station. And the A629 Halifax to Huddersfield Corridor Improvement scheme will relieve regular congestion and improve journey times along the route. The A629 scheme will also mean major improvements to Halifax town centre’s pedestrian environment, public transport network and infrastructure as well as unlocking key local growth sites.
After the schemes were supported at the recent Investment Committee meeting, its chair Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, who is Leader of Bradford Council said:
“The transport schemes which the Investment Committee has supported have been designed to achieve the Combined Authority and its partners’ aims of encouraging sustainable economic growth that sees more local people in high quality jobs that they can access easily.
“We have made great progress and over the last few weeks have seen the completion of two West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund schemes, the Wakefield Eastern Relief Road and the Temple Green Park and Ride and this ongoing programme of investment will enable us to build on that success.”
In addition to the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund schemes, the Combined Authority is being asked to approve over £28m of Highways Maintenance Block and Highways Incentive Funding.