News that a new pedestrian bridge has finally been given funding has been welcomed after many “frustrating” years of little progress.
Plans for a crossing at the busy A629 – a 70mph road that divides Steeton and Silsden – have been in the planning stages for years. But work on the crossing has yet to start.
The scheme – which will be a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the road – was recently awarded £12.9m from the West Yorkshire City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, a huge pot of cash given to West Yorkshire Combined Authority by Government.
This money will help fund the first stage of the scheme – the bridge. But no funding has yet been allocated for the second phase, which is expected to cost an additional £11m.
That phase will include an additional one-and-a-half miles of pedestrian and cycle paths linking Steeton and Silsden, and more road crossings.
The transport settlement was discussed at a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive last week.
Referring to the second stage of the scheme, the report said: “The potential for a second phase to this project has been identified, however no funding has so far been allocated for this purpose.”
Councillor Rebecca Poulsen (Cons, Worth Valley) spoke of the long delays to the project at the meeting.
In 2016, £700,000 was secured from the Conservative Government for a feasibility study into a crossing on the road. Despite this, the project is still yet to begin.
On the new cash for the scheme, Councillor Poulsen said:
“I welcome this funding and am pleased to see Steeton and Silsden bridge included.
“This has been going on for years and years and residents have become increasingly frustrated that it is taking so long.
“It took four years to get a feasibility report done.
“I hope we get phase two up and going as soon as possible.”
Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Executive for Planning, Regeneration and Transport on Bradford Council, said:
“This scheme is a good example of the benefits of devolution.
“We’ve got a grant this big because of devolution.
“The Steeton and Silsden bridge is something we’ve wanted to see for some time.
“We had funding for a feasibility study from the previous Government, but it came with no funding attached.
“It was not the case that we had funding to deliver the scheme, not until recently.”
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