ALMOST £1 million has had to be invested into major improvement plans at a junction in Bradford, after delays caused by problems acquiring the required land.

The expansion works at the Harrogate Road-New Line junction in Greengates has been given the extra money, along with compulsory purchase orders, to help the improvement works take place.

Funding of £972,000 has been handed over by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority as the project will take significantly longer and cost more to complete due to a number of reasons.

Some of the funding will be used to help purchase more than 36 small pieces of land needed for the project to go ahead.

Despite the extra funding, the overall cost of the project is not expected to rise from the original cost of £6.8 million, and is due to be completed in February 2020.

Compulsory purchase orders (CPO) are now also required for the project, due to difficulties in negotiations with landowners, which has meant the legal powers are now necessary to gain access to land, and also means this phase of the works will take longer and cost more to complete.

Other reasons for the delays and extra funding include longer than expected negotiations to secure agreements for revised parking restrictions and traffic regulation orders

Listed building consent was also required for two properties affected by the development.

The crossroads junction at Greengates is being reconfigured to create a new P-loop junction, which will reduce congestion, provide controlled pedestrian crossing points to improve safety, and also increase the safety provision for cyclists.

The current junction is a pinch point with significant congestion causing delays in each direction, which has a detrimental impact on journey times along with road safety.

The new junction would also support a number of significant new housing developments in the area along with future developments.

The funding and CPOs were approved at a West Yorkshire Combined Authority investment committee meeting earlier this month, and a public inquiry is expected to be required as part of the CPO process.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, executive member for regeneration, planning, and transport, also sits on the Combined Authority’s investment committee.

He said: “The nature of works like these in built up areas means that detailed land negotiations and, unfortunately, CPOs as a last resort, are not uncommon and therefore to some extent the costs have been anticipated for some time.

“However, the land required means we will be able to deliver this scheme and the benefits it will bring in reduced congestion and improved air quality.

“We’ve done everything we can to reduce the need for CPOs but sadly some are necessary to ensure the scheme moves forward.”