Questions asked over council chiefs being misled over £69m Cooper Bridge bypass scheme

Last month Councillor Peter McBride said the bypass – dubbed the A62/A644 (Wakefield Road) Link Road – had gone “back to the drawing board” after he admitted chopping down ancient woodland was “unacceptable”.

The bypass, conceived as a congestion-buster, involved the creation of a new relief road and viaduct from Bradley to the A644 Wakefield Road, plus a new roundabout.

Three different options were drawn up.

Kirklees Council said some homes would be purchased and demolished, and some “virgin” land would be bought up to deliver the scheme. Woodland bordering the A644 Wakefield Road contains the reputed grave of medieval outlaw Robin Hood.

However the council’s head of major projects, Richard Hollinson, has confirmed that the authority is still assessing options for the scheme.

And he has stated: “At this point in time no formal decision has been taken to eliminate any of the options developed to date.”

That means the threat to ancient woodland remains a very real possibility.

Mr Hollinson was responding to Conservative councillor Martyn Bolt, who has made repeatedly requested updates from the council.

Coun Bolt has now questioned whether Clr McBride should remain in his position as Portfolio Holder for Regeneration.

Kirklees Council was approached to comment.

Mr Hollinson said feedback from the public had led to “a number of variations” to the original designs that had reduced the impact on the woodland by 50%.

He revealed that following conversations with Clr McBride “additional options have been developed which avoid the ancient woodland in its entirety”.

Speaking last month Coun McBride said the council had been kept fully informed throughout the process about what schemes had been rejected and why.

That was rejected by Coun Bolt, who said no formal decisions had been brought either to the decision-making Cabinet or to Full Council.

He commented: “It is my belief having been seeking clarity on this matter for some time that councillors and the public have been misled by Clr McBride and the cabinet.

“His statement about council being kept fully informed is not supported by any formal decisions.”

He said Coun McBride’s comments last month had neither been corrected nor challenged by Council Leader Clr Shabir Pandor or any other member of the Cabinet.

Given that the Cabinet makes collective decisions and does not operate on what Clr Bolt described as “a Westminster ministerial system” he suggested that Cabinet colleagues had accepted his “untrue statement given on their behalf”.

He added: “We now have a definitive statement from senior officers saying that all options are still on the table and potentially the destruction of the ancient woodland may still occur.

“I believe the council and our residents have a right to honest answers from the leader and Cabinet, and that the leader needs to say if he is retaining Clr McBride on Cabinet.”