COUNCILLORS in Queensbury have hit back at Highways England over its comments on the threat posed by the condition of a disused railway tunnel under the village.

Campaigners hope to restore the 1.4-mile long Victorian structure as part of an ambitious cycle network linking Bradford and Keighley to Halifax, but Highways England’s Historical Railway Estate (HRE), which manages the tunnel on behalf Department for Transport, want to abandon it at an estimated cost £3.2 million.

Monday's Telegraph & Argus reported Bradford South MP Judith Cummins had written to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling over the future of the tunnel, urging a decision be made on the basis of "robust evidence".

In response, Highways England said that unless major work is carried out on the tunnel, the "level of safety risk to the community increases" and action needs to be taken. The body has since said the Queensbury Tunnel "represents the highest risk to public safety" of the 3,200 former railway structures it looks after.

Now Queensbury ward councillors Andrew Senior and Robert Hargreaves (Con) along with Lynda Cromie (Ind) have joined together to write to Highways England for an explanation of its comments.

Cllr Senior said: “I feel that the statements made by Highways England are just an attempt to frighten the people of Queensbury, adding pressure to the argument for abandoning the tunnel. We need to remember that they are not proposing to fill it all in - only the two ends and very short sections below the shafts. Large areas will be left for nature to take its course.

“There will be no access for inspections or maintenance which, in my view, increases the risks to the community. They are trying to manage the tunnel with their eyes closed and their fingers crossed. The safest thing to do would be to spend the money on repairing the tunnel, leaving it open so engineers can see what’s happening to it.”

In an email to Highways England, the councillors have asked for “clear documentary evidence” to support the recent statements due to their potential for causing concern to those who live above the tunnel.

Graeme Bickerdike, engineering co-ordinator for the Queensbury Tunnel Society, acknowledged that short sections of the tunnel are in a poor condition, but said: "In reality, the short-term threat to the village of Queensbury is negligible. There is no basis on safety grounds for works to start in September - not this year, next year or the one after that.”

A spokesperson for Highways England said: “Safety is at the heart of everything that Highways England does. Unfortunately the condition of the tunnel has severely deteriorated since it was closed.

“Of the 3,200 former railway structures which we have looked after since September 2013, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport, this tunnel represents the highest risk to public safety. Due to the poor and worsening condition of the tunnel it is a priority to permanently close the tunnel on the grounds of public safety, subject to securing planning permission."