PARENTS at Primary Schools in Shipley have launched a petition asking Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority to stop their plans to widen roads coming into the town.

The “Parents for Clean Air” group have raised concerns about Bradford Council's plans to widen Canal Road, Valley Road and Otley Road as part of the Bradford Shipley Route Improvement Scheme.

They are concerned that the road widening scheme will bring more traffic into Shipley worsening traffic congestion, air quality and community life. Parents are concerned that air pollution is already above legal levels in Shipley and that a recent report has estimated that 191 people died in a single year because of particulate air pollution in Bradford.

The parents are particularly concerned about the effect on children’s health. Cathy Knamiller, from Parents for Clean Air and a parent of a child at Shipley C of E school, said: "I am hugely worried about the plans to put more traffic on the roads right outside my daughter’s school. Otley Road is already congested and heavily polluted – adding extra lanes to the road will only make this worse and will increase levels of air pollution.

"We know that air pollution particularly harms the development and life chances of children. Their health must be our priority. We need Bradford Council to rethink this scheme.”

Darren Parkinson, of campaign group Clean Air Bradford and also a parent of children at Wycliffe Primary School in Shipley, said: "This scheme will bring more misery to residents in Shipley and Saltaire who already have to put up with congested roads, rat running and poor air quality.

"Widening these roads will undo any of the good work that the proposed Bradford Clean Air Zone will achieve and flies in the face of Bradford Council’s declaration of a Climate Emergency."

The petition asks Bradford Council to stop the road widening scheme and redirect the £47million it proposes to spend on it, to focus on sustainable alternatives such as improving public transport infrastructure, walking and cycling.

To sign the petition go to https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/clean-air-for-shipley/.