Rethink on Cottingley children's centre over traffic fears (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Rethink on Cottingley children's centre over traffic fears

9:16am Thursday 12th March 2009 in

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Bradford Council has been urged to re-think proposals on one of seven new children’s centres in a £3.9 million project to boost children’s services in the Aire Valley.

Villagers are opposing proposals to extend Cottingley Village Primary School in Cottingley Moor Road, because of “nightmare” traffic problems, ward councillors said.

A consultation started at the beginning of the year on the scheme to build seven more centres in the Aire Valley in addition to 30 already built in the most deprived areas of Bradford.

It is one of the largest children’s centre building projects in the country.

But many, including the one proposed for Cottingley, will be in the grounds of schools under proposals put forward by the Council.

Councillor Simon Cooke (Con, Bingley Rural) said: “We share residents’ concerns about the impact of traffic.

Cottingley Primary School is already a bad location as it is a busy main road with a lot of people about. At 9.20am it is a nightmare. The worst thing that could happen is for another lot of people trying to get in and out at that time.”

Coun Cooke said he and the two other Conservative councillors in the ward, Margaret Eaton and Michael Ellis, would urge Bradford Council to reconsider the proposals. Instead, they want to see the centre as part of Cottingley Cornerstone Project.

A meeting has been planned for tomorrow with Kath Tunstall, the Council’s strategic director for services to children and young people.

Coun Cooke said: “We had a consultation and everybody agreed that we wanted it, so we hope that the council puts it in the right place, at the heart of the community.”

The centres will provide children’s services for the under fives, such as early education. Key elements include providing support for parents who wish to enter training or who require help gaining employment and providing access to community health and child health services.

Each centre is expected to serve between 800 to 1,200 children, with an overall reach totalling 37,015 by 2011.

Mrs Tunstall said: “A report was presented to Executive in December and the proposal for the Children’s Centre was at Cottingley Primary School and the alternative was Cornerstone. Discussions continue around those two options.”