SIR - Your comment about Queensbury Tunnel: “Future generations may not forgive us ...” (T&A, May 19) is exactly right. You concur with Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, who fully recognises Queensbury Tunnel’s long-term value as a strategic cycle/walkway and an iconic sporting and tourism asset (video interview queensburytunnel.org.uk).
Our battle to preserve Queensbury Tunnel is based on sound evidence of its potential benefit to Bradford and the region. The ‘Screening Opinion’ now submitted by Jacob’s Ltd for Highways England’s Historical Railways Estate (HRE) is based on blind pragmatism that ignores all those benefits. There is no “must” about HRE’s plan to proceed with abandonment works this September; they are simply keeping to their convenient timetable.
HRE claims that their closure works will have low environmental impact and that the tunnel has low heritage value, since it is not a listed structure. Both claims are at odds with Bradford’s Local Plan and we will be referring council officers and councillors to the relevant detail of this.
We urge them to show some muscle in stopping the Government who have no regard for Bradford’s landscape and our children’s right to healthy, active travel and leisure choices.
Norah McWilliam, Queensbury Tunnel Society, Peel Street, Queensbury
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