The Mayor of Keighley is calling on highways chiefs to axe their plans and save the trees in Skipton Road.

Councillor Martin Leathley is urging Bradford Council's highways officers to rethink plans for the redevelopment of Skipton Road that could spell the end for some of the trees.

Residents living on or near Skipton Road and the Sangat Centre have also sent a petition to the council calling for the trees to be saved. They all argue that the trees form an impressive green gateway to Keighley and provide important environmental cover.

Residents are also concerned that the plans will involve narrowing the width of paths either side of the road.

Highways officers have drawn up congestion-busting plans for Skipton Road to improve the traffic flow through Keighley, including the widening of the road and introduction of parking bays and cycle lanes.

This would require the felling of eight of the smaller sycamore trees on the left side of the road heading into Keighley, which the council says would be replaced by 15 mature lime trees.

Councillor Leathley said: "I am opposed to the plans because I feel the highways design team needs to maintain the tree canopy.

"I'm anything but against the idea of cycle lanes, but I want to know if there's been any research to establish need. It seems as though this is being done for no better reason than a bit of political correctness."

He added: "We've made a number of positive suggestions about using alternative cycle routes into Keighley, such as Cliffe Castle.

"If the trees are replaced I hope they don't plant saplings because in this day and age they are open to vandalism."

Keighley North Conservative councillor Andrew Mallinson, who sits on the area panel, was initially sceptical about the plans.

But following a walk along the road with a highways engineer and tree specialist from Bradford Council he says most of the mature trees can be saved.

Councillor Mallinson said: "We have identified alterations that need to be made to the first map about where the lined bays are going, and by changing some of the design work we are not now needing to affect all of the mature trees.

"We are looking at the possibility of removing some of the less mature trees because they are in the way and they are not of the type that the council's tree specialists are happy with. Some are also showing signs of disease.

"They believe the lime trees would be more suitable, and are looking at planting them further towards the town centre."

Councillor Mallinson added that officers were now looking at gas, electrical and water works along Skipton Road before taking the plans further.

"This has been on the drawing board for the last two years and we need to get moving on this as soon as possible because the corridor through Keighley needs opening up, otherwise it will be a bottleneck for ever," he added.

The proposals could be discussed at the September meeting of Keighley area panel, but councillor Mallinson said the complicated nature of the plans might delay that until later in the year.