SIR – What many people are not aware of is that the original plans extended the motorway across Bradford toward Shipley.

Unfortunately, the Council also planned to clear narrow and congested Manchester Road and Wakefield Road and build two modern, wide dual-carriageway roads into the city.

As the construction of these new roads began before the motorway plans were finalised, the Government decided access to the city would be adequate, cut costs and shelved the proposed motorway access.

Unfortunately, the planners failed to anticipate the enormous increase in traffic which has occurred during the last 30 years, and even today are miserably failing to provide for the future of Bradford.

T Maskell, Frederick Close, Thackley