Major Calder and Hebble plans go before planners
MAJOR PLANS to develop the next stage of multi-million pound works to improve the main route between Halifax and Huddersfield – including the Calder and Hebble junction – will come before planners next week.
The proposals include improving the A629 Huddersfield Road and B6112 Stainland Road corridor, improving the A6026 Wakefield Road junction including building a new road bridge over the Calder and Hebble Navigation, creating a new roundabout on the B6112 and associated works.
These in turn include earthworks, the realigning and widening of carriageways, new signal-controlled road junctions, footways, cycleways, bus stops, retaining walls, a suds basin and landscaping.
Calderdale Council’s application will be decided when the authority’s Planning Committee meets in virtual form via its YouTube channel from 2pm on Tuesday, July 28.
A key component will be alternative arrangements for compensating for the loss of ancient woodland at Elland Wood.
When councillors were mindful to permit the plans when members considered them in May last year a legal agreement to this effect was important in the proposals receiving support.
Briefing documents submitted with the application explain the works require the removal of 0.078 hectares of the wood and councillors’ previous decision was made subject to an agreement to deliver an improvement and management plan for it, including some compensation for the lost woodland.
However, negotiations to do this with a landowner, ongoing for three years, have fallen through and an alternative solution is suggested by which a site at the western end of councilowned North Dean Woods, near Greetland, will fulfill this role.
The proposals form the third part of five phases of a scheme to deliver improvements to the main A629 route connecting the two West Yorkshire towns, with a particular aim of improving routes, crossings and junctions for pedestrians and cyclists,
HAVE YOUR SAY: Online, on our Facebook page or @HxCourier