£150m ‘unlocked’ for transport schemes across West Yorkshire

A NUMBER of key transport schemes in West Yorkshire will get the funding they need to proceed after the Government agreed to hand the combined authority a further £150m to see them to fruition.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority announced that it has successfully passed a ‘gateway review’ carried out by the Government on the way it has invested £180m over five years through its West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund.

As a result, a further £150m has now been unlocked which will be invested in the next five years to improve public transport, cycle and walking routes in West Yorkshire, as well as reduce congestion and air pollution.

The money will be used to develop a number of major projects which may not have been completed without it.

These include the East Leeds Orbital Ring Road scheme, a new 50mph dual carriageway with pedestrian and cycle infrastructure, and a project to improve the area around Castleford railway station.

Separately, local leaders have started discussing how to make progress on the 22 public transport, cycling and walking projects to be paid for by £317m from the

Government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

The funding was among the extra resources handed to West Yorkshire when the long-awaited devolution deal was announced in March.

These include the creation of two new park-and-ride sites and new bus priority on six major bus corridors, as well as better walking and cycling access to railway stations in places such as Huddersfield, Harrogate, York, Skipton and Selby.

Susan Hinchcliffe, who chairs the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and is Leader of Bradford Council, said: “We welcome this strong endorsement, which shows that the Combined Authority

is investing public money wisely.

“By delivering schemes like new rail stations, park-and-ride facilities and improved cycle paths, we are making a real difference to people’s quality of life.

“We have made excellent progress over the past five years, thanks to the investment we have been able to make into our communities through the Growth

Deal, and we will be building on this as we deliver the West Yorkshire Devolution Deal.

“Given the times we are living through, such investment is needed more than ever.”

Meanwhile in the Commons, a Government Minister has confirmed that the ‘integrated rail plan’ setting out how the northern leg of HS2 will fit in with other major infrastructure projects in the North will be published this year.

Andrew Stephenson was responding to a question from Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake about what steps the Government is taking “to increase spending on transport infrastructure in the English regions”.

Mr Stephenson also assured his fellow Conservative MP that the dualling of the A64 in his North Yorkshire constituency would be “investigated carefully” as part of the Government’s future strategy for the nation’s roads.

The plan to make a crucial stretch of the road into a dual carriageway was included in the Budget in March but only in the 2025 to 2030 investment period, meaning it could be several years before any work is done on the scheme.

The Government has insisted it is committed to its ‘levelling-up’ agenda to boost the North’s economy despite the massive cost of the coronavirus crisis.

We are making a real difference to people’s quality of life.

Susan Hinchcliffe, who chairs the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.