Saltaire roundabout scheme could be delayed by 15 years

7:00am Thursday 9th September 2010

By Marc Meneaud

A major congestion-busting traffic scheme at Saltaire Roundabout could be shelved for at least 15 years amid the threat of further Government funding cuts, a report has revealed.

The £4.3million previously earmarked for the long-awaited scheme has already been slashed by £1million following a funding review earlier this year.

A report to Bradford Council now claims there is a “significant possibility” that up to £2million for the scheme – at one of the district’s worst traffic bottlenecks – could instead be given to other “more advanced” projects in West Yorkshire.

That will mean a 15-year wait for more Government money to be made available for an effective scheme at Saltaire roundabout and the surrounding area, warns a report to the Shipley Area Committee.

The report reads: “Consequently, problems at this junction would continue to increase with no possibility of significant interventions being prioritised for funding.”

Bradford Council still has £1.3million provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) for improvements after the A650 Bingley Road was brought under Council control.

Another £3million had been promised through the West Yorkshire Strategic Programme of Schemes (WYSPS) for local transport.

But following the funding review in June, that figure has been reduced to £2million, making a total of £3.3million overall.

The report added: “Further reductions in the WYSPS funding stream remains a significant possibility.

“Projects within other West Yorkshire districts are more advanced than the Saltaire roundabout proposals, hence are more likely to retain their funding should any further reductions be announced by the Coalition Government.”

It is understood that the £1.3million would be enough to put in traffic lights at Saltaire roundabout.

But questions have been raised about how effective they would be without planned schemes to stop congestion and rat-running in Nab Wood, Hirst Wood and Saltaire Village.

Bradford Councillor Kevin Warnes (pictured), who has been heavily involved in consultations over the current roundabout scheme, said the threat of funding cuts “places a big question mark over the whole project”.

Coun Warnes (Green, Shipley), said: “What it is all about is trying to address the local concerns at the junction and, if there is not the money to do that, then there is no point to it.”

His colleague Martin Love, leader of the Green party on Bradford Council said: “If we don’t get this done whilst the money is available it is going to be a lot of years until anything gets done.”

Chris Greaves, chairman of Metro, the West Yorkshire transport authority, said projects in the region had already “taken a hit” following the June funding review.

He said that, at the time, the authority had been assured by Bradford Council the wider Saltaire scheme could be completed with £3.3million.

Bradford Tory Councillor Mr Greaves said he did not want to “crystal ball gaze” about more possible cuts after the major review of Government funding next month.

He added: “We have no idea what is going to happen in October but I would argue that in West Yorkshire we have had our hit and enough is enough.”

Councillors on the Shipley Area Committee will discuss the proposals at a meeting at Shipley Library on Wednesday, September 15, 6pm.