Shipley MP Philip Davies in call to Roads Minister for bypass plan (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Shipley MP Philip Davies in call to Roads Minister for bypass plan

10:00am Monday 11th February 2013 in News By Julie Tickner, T&A Reporter

An MP is demanding showdown talks with a top level transport boss to discuss plans for a bypass in Shipley.

Shipley Tory MP, Philip Davies thinks the Government would be better spending money on projects which help local economies, rather than the ‘white elephant’ HS2 high speed rail link between the North and South of the country. He said: “I’ve written to Stephen Hammond, the Roads Minister, to see if there’s anything he can do to help.

“Rather than waste all this money on HS2, which to me is a white elephant, money should be spent locally. I’ve never met a business that has said, ‘if you can’t get me to London 40 minutes quicker, then I’m out of here’.”

Mr Davies said he would be more supportive of developments proposed for Shipley, such as a new supermarket, if something was done to improve infrastructure.

“If the Government can find £30 billion to spend on HS2, I’m sure they can find £100 million for a bypass for Shipley,” he said.

The Shipley Eastern Relief Road would run from Otley Road at Baildon to Canal Road at Shipley.

The letter to Mr Hammond says: “You may have seen recent surveys that show that roads in Bradford and Leeds are among the most congested in the UK and are in the top ten in Europe. My constituents are understandably upset that so much money is to be spent on HS2 whereas there is very little for more minor road schemes that would help local businesses and boost the local economy.

“I would appreciate if we could meet up to discuss how we can move forward with the Shipley Eastern Relief Road which, if built, would make a massive difference to my constituents and bring economic benefits to the area.” The letter raised concerns that little progress had been made with the plans since Bradford Council submitted an unsuccessful bid for funding in 2008 through the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Transport Board.

The Conservative MP raised the issue of Shipley Eastern Relief Road in the Commons last July, when he asked transport ministers to carry out a congestion assessment on roads across the constituency.

But he was told by Transport Minister, Norman Baker, that, as part of the localism agenda, funding for major local authority schemes after 2015 would be devolved so the decision would be made by the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and West Yorkshire's transport body.

No-one was available to comment on whether plans are progressing for the relief road.