A new £2 million state-of-the-art bus station in Keighley was set to receive the green light when the town's planning committee met yesterday.

Members of Keighley Area Planning Panel were due to approve the plans on the recommendation of planning officers.

The scheme involves demolishing the old buildings in Lawkholme Crescent and developing a concourse on the modern drive-in, reverse-out design.

The site is owned by Bradford council and the funding for the bus station comes from the council's transport package

The new station development, a partnership between Bradford council, Keighley and District Travel and the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, will be safer and more user-friendly for pedestrians.

The drive-in, reverse out method is considered to be safer because pedestrians and buses are kept apart.

A major feature will be closed circuit television covering all areas of the new concourse and sections leading up to it.

A Keighley planning spokesman said: "This will have 24 hour coverage, even when the bus station is closed, and will relay pictures back to a central Metro CCTV security centre.

"The new building has been designed to complement surrounding buildings, and takes account of the character of the conservation area and surrounded listed buildings.

"It has been designed in such a way that as soon as a passengers get off a bus, they walk into the concourse and do not come into contact with any other buses. At present some passengers have to cross the area where the buses travel to reach islands where vehicles are waiting to pick people up.

"Passengers changing from one bus to another reach each vehicle through the concourse building, which is to be constructed nearer to the Airedale centre, giving passengers easier access to the shops, he added.

Only two letters of objection have been received, both claiming that the development would create a wind tunnel between the Airedale centre and the new concourse and calling for better lighting between Towngate and the bus station.