THE Bradford Green Party has called on West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and Bradford Council to halt new road building schemes following 'climate emergency' declarations from both authorities.

WYCA has made a commitment to become the UK's first zero carbon city region, but the Green Party has raised concerns over how this pledge can be delivered in light of a number of road building plans, including the Leeds Bradford Airport link road and the Bradford South link road.

Councillor Kevin Warnes, Green councillor for Shipley, said “It is great that the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has made such ambitious commitments to do more to more to avoid climate catastrophe but we want to see meaningful change here in Bradford and indeed across our region.

“One of the key roles of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority is improving transport links across the region but currently the authority is too focused on building new roads.

“WYCA and Bradford Council have recently approved £47 million to widen roads between Bradford and Shipley which will only bring more traffic, more emissions and more pollution to the town.

“We need to do much more to make it easier and cheaper for people to ditch their cars and either use public transport or better still turn to walking or cycling. WYCA has a really important role in this process.”

Matt Edwards, the prospective Green Party candidate for Bradford South added: “Vast amounts of funding has just been made available for a road through the Tong Valley and Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority need to decide if this project fits with the commitments to tackling climate change.

“The Green Party is really clear that a 'climate emergency' means making tough decisions for at every level from reducing plastic global consumption to building new roads. We need to be undertaking a full climate impact assessment for each project before decisions are made to proceed with them or not.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, the Bradford Council's Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning & Transport, said: “It’s misleading to suggest we’re too focused on roads when our biggest transport priority is to secure high-speed rail for Bradford city centre and we’ve just celebrated opening a £3m dedicated cycleway connecting Bradford and Shipley.

"It was literally last week when we launched our advocacy document for funding to deliver a cycleway connecting Bradford and Halifax with a restored Queensbury Tunnel at its heart."

He added: “In the past few years we’ve opened two brand new rail stations at Low Moor and Apperley Bridge and are currently progressing a number of ‘Park and Rail’ schemes to massively increase people’s ability to use rail, which is a sustainable form of transport. The Executive also just approved our new Housing Design Guide that prioritises 20mph zones and green streets for new developments in addition to our plans for No Idling Zones and 20mph limits around our schools and 20mph zones in the city centre as well as Shipley and Ilkley town centres.

“We’re focused on delivering sustainable growth across the district, supporting active travel and public transport as well as building strong and prosperous communities.”

A spokesperson for WYCA said: "We need new infrastructure to support our economy but that has to be delivered in a sustainable way. New and better roads can mean less congestion which leads to better air quality, more reliable buses and better cycling and walking routes.

"More park and ride services and new train stations mean more people using public transport.

"We are absolutely committed to tackling the climate emergency, whilst still ensuring people feel the benefits of the investments we're making."