Questions remain over future use of pedestrian subways in Brighouse

The condition of the subways, at either end of the Ludenscheid Link, have been a concern for some years, with residents dubbing one of the subways Brighouse’s biggest “grot spot” back in 2015.

Potential subway enhancements are also an aim in the Brighouse Town Centre Masterplan.

Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) raised the subway issue in the questions-to-Cabinet segment of a reconvened full council meeting, and he also wanted a progress update on the major A641 road scheme in which Brighouse is a key link between Bradford and Huddersfield.

“I have chased this over a number of years, I have been promised and promised they will look into taking the tiles off and resurfacing.

“When I am asking dates I am getting blanks, I’m getting absolutely nothing, so I would appreciate an update on the subways,” he said.

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Strategy, Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said she would chase up information on the subways and get a written answer for Coun Blagbrough.

“I think there is a tension between looking at the road traffic, the pedestrian and cycling, schemes and all the changes around that and the future of the subways.

“Clearly, they’re important at the moment in terms of getting safely underneath the road.

“What the designs look like in terms of that scheme, what that means for the subways eventually, I think may be one of the things that’s causing the ‘pause’ or lack of information relating to that,” she said.

Coun Scullion also pledged more care would be taken over consultation dates after one planned for the new flood alleviation scheme at Brighouse had clashed with the reconvened council meeting.

Coun Blagbrough had raised the issue about the timing of the consultation meeting, with an eye on similar events being held for the A641 scheme.

Coun Scullion said regular consultation meetings in the case of the Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme had been extremely useful and among other things were a chance for those running the project to tap into local knowledge.

She said she would do her best to make sure there were no clashes when A641 consultation was carried out.

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