Plans to improve 'major' Calderdale road gets green light

The plan by Calderdale Council’s Planning Committee includes transforming the A629 Huddersfield Road and B6112 Stainland Road corridor, and improving the A6026 Wakefield Road junction through building a new road bridge over the Calder and Hebble Navigation canal.

The plans could also see the development of a new roundabout on the B6112.

Hipperholme and Lightcliffe Coun David Kirton said: “This will be a major benefit to our link road between Calderdale and Huddersfield, and in particular Calderdale and this area.

These include realigning and widening of carriageways, new signal-controlled road junctions, footways, cycleways, bus stops, retaining walls, a suds basin, and landscaping.

Coun Jenny Lynn said the creative approach by officers to solving issues and achieving goals had resulted in a scheme she could support.

In particular a crucial example was being able to alleviate loss of a small portion of ancient woodland at Elland Wood by developing and managing a woodland site at nearby council-owned North Dean Woods, near Greetland, on the opposite side of the works.

The plans 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 while enhancing vehicle journey times and streamlining bus journeys.

Encouraging some drivers out of their vehicles and into public transport, on their bikes and walking more can also bring health and environmental benefits, councillors were reminded.

Coun Lynn said encouraging walking and cycling was Government policy too, as announcements this week had shown.

“There are a number of features in this plan that support our objectives – and this week Government objectives – to get people on their bike and the rest of it,” she said.

It also offered much to people who worked alongside the canal or walked in woodland and environmental benefits to improve air quality by better traffic flow, in context of the A629 project as a whole.

“Part of this whole scheme is trying to prevent stop-start emissions from traffic not flowing smoothly,” she said.

The council had received a representation from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and a letter of objection over the detailed proposals.