WITH many shops in the district preparing to re-open on Monday, work to make sure people stick to social distancing across the Bradford District is well underway.

And it is not just shopping centres and city streets where new measures are being put in place.

A recent report by Bradford Council revealed that 37 sites across the District will be subject to measures like one way walking systems and new signage.

In some areas, like on Haworth Road in the village of Cross Roads, it means narrow pavements are being allocated as “one way” systems.

Almost 40 'active travel' schemes plan for post lockdown Bradford

People wanting to walk the other way are being urged to cross the street to avoid walking against the flow of pedestrian traffic and passing within 2 metres of other people.

But one local Councillor says such measures are not always suitable for some areas, and has urged people to instead used common sense.

Signage urging people to stay two metres apart and arrows pointing out the suggested direction of foot traffic will become increasingly common as Bradford Council implements more measures in the run up to next week, when non-essential shops are able to re-open for the first time since March.

Social distancing measures were first trialled in Shipley last month, with the town’s pedestrian Market Square separated into “lanes” of pedestrian traffic.

Work has since been done in Bradford city centre, including modifying pedestrian crossings so people no longer have to press a button to active lights.

Signage has recently been installed in Cross Roads, with the one way pedestrian system on the village’s narrow pavements. Local Councillor Rebecca Poulsen (Cons, Worth Valley) said the system doesn’t always translate well in smaller villages. She said: “In busy shopping areas marking out one way routes for shoppers makes sense and can be useful in encouraging social distancing.

“When we start to welcome tourists back they can act as a guide to people who don’t know the area.

“It doesn’t work as well in some of the villages like Cross Roads where pavements and roads are narrower and prams and wheelchairs can only fit on one side of the road.

“I advise people to use some common sense and be aware of other people and that they may not be able to follow the one way route.

“These changes have been implemented very quickly by the Council with Councillors only given a day to comment and no local consultation with residents carried out.” Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, portfolio holder for Regeneration and Transport, said: “Our Highways officers have been hard at work assessing our towns and villages across the district to see how we can help people stay safe and socially distance. "With non-essential retail opening so soon time is of the essence but where local councillors have expressed any concerns we’ve taken the time to discuss options with them. "Of course if Cllr Poulsen still has concerns we’re more than happy to continue those discussions.”