Approval needed for £500,000 scheme to streamline Calderdale's transport projects

On Monday, December 3, Calderdale Council's Cabinet will be asked to consider developing a Multi-Modal Transport Model for the borough in the light of a whopping £244 million of planned transportation works with the possibility it will help win more funding cash for future schemes.

At just over a quarter of one per cent that total, Cabinet member for Regeneration and Economic Strategy, Coun Barry Collins (Lab, Illingworth and Mixenden) believes it will be worth it to produce the best possible testing model for Calderdale's systems and with £325,000 - a figure he hopes will be boosted to £389,000 at this month's meeting - towards it coming from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

That would leave Calderdale to find around £240,000 which officers believe can be funded through directorate resources if it is spread over five years at the rate of £50,000 for four years and £40,000 in the fifth year.

If Cabinet approves it, the model - a complex transportation project produced by developers AECOM - would look at the current use and performance of the transport network in the borough, assessing use of private vehicles, public transport, and walking and cycling.

From this, forecasts would be made about how the network is likely to perform in the future.

Major schemes to which it would be applied include the A641 improvement scheme aiming to significantly improve journey times and reduce congestion in and around Brighouse, the A629 Huddersfield to Halifax project (in partnership with Kirklees Council), the Halifax Station Gateway project, the new Elland Station project and the North East Calderdale Transformation Project which takes in the transport network around Hipperholme, Shelf and Northowram.

Coun Collins said: "The exciting programme of development as part of Calderdale’s Next Chapter requires a great deal of complex design work and analysis.

"Construction of this transport model would ensure that we have a clear overview of the current transport usage and congestion issues to help us develop the best scheme possible.

“With the total value of planned transportation works in Calderdale at a staggering £244 million, it’s important that we can fully evidence the scope of works required for each project, to support our submissions for required external funding."

The council could data upgrade its existing model but there is a risk it would not be thorough enough and risk approval of funding for business cases and major transport schemes it bids for going forward.

Cabinet meets on Monday from 6pm in Halifax Town Hall.