A GREEN area north of Bradford city centre has been transformed to make it a safe and attractive traffic-free route for cyclists and walkers.

The Beech Grove Greenway and Myra Shay, which lie in the Barkerend area, have undergone a revamp over the past few months

The main aim of the project has been to make the Greenway – a stretch of attractive green space providing a route through to the city centre from Beech Grove Park – more attractive and safe for anyone walking or cycling on it.

The area has also been designed to encourage children to play or learn to cycle, away from roads and traffic.

The work has included:

• widening and resurfacing the route for improved access for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair, scooter and pram users

• planting a Forest School play space within Myra Shay with earth mounds and new wildlife habitats

• clearing vegetation that was blocking the path

• installing lighting columns through Myra Shay to provide a continuous lit route from Killinghall Road to New Otley Road

• creating play spaces with sculptures and artwork to encourage families and little ones to explore,

• a toddler trail to encourage families and their little ones to be active

• tree planting

• barriers and retractable bollards to discourage unwanted motorised vehicles.

The project is the result of a collaboration between landowners, Incommunities, Bradford Council and Better Start Bradford’s Better Place project.

Funding has come from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund – delivered in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Better Start Bradford’s Better Place project and the Council’s Public Health team.

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New artworks on the greenway, which include a stone ammonite, have been sculpted by Daniel Jones, a Yorkshire based sculptor and artist.

A community celebration event is being held from 1-4pm on Thursday March 17 at Beech Grove Park for families to enjoy the new space.

Activities will include helping children learn how to ride a bike with HopOn, a design workshop run by Dan Jones to create a mural behind Byron School, Living Streets walking group, outdoor crafts, story time and fun with the Better Place team. West Yorkshire Police will also be offering free security bike marking.

Adele Adams, of the council’s Landscape, Design and Conservation Team and  Project Manager of Better Place Capital, said: “We are delighted to have worked with all the partner organisations to transform the Greenway. 

"Better Place has added elements of fun along the route to encourage families with little ones to explore and over time the tree planting will help to improve air quality for our communities.

"Mitigating air pollution and spending more time outdoors can have massive beneficial effects.  Even in the short term the trees will have a wonderful impact on the area with beautiful budding leaves in the spring, a summer green canopy, leaf colour in the autumn and lovely bark exposed in the winter.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “The work on the Greenway will help encourage the ambition for our communities to consider more active travel, like walking and cycling, and shows how all our partnerships are working together to make this happen.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Making it easier to cycle and walk is a vital part of my commitment to make transport work for people and tackle the climate emergency on our way to becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038.

“That is why I am delighted to see this exciting new project be delivered, so local communities, such as this one in Bradford, can really benefit from these attractive green spaces and traffic free routes, demonstrating just one of the many ways we are committed to tackling climate change .”

Councillor Manisha Kaushik, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee Lead Member for Active Travel, said: “We are pleased to have worked in partnership with Bradford Council on this scheme, which has transformed this area to be attractive and a real asset to the local community.

“From connecting us to the places we need to go, to reducing air pollution and congestion, and boosting our physical and mental health, we know getting more people cycling and walking has a vital role to play in making West Yorkshire an even better place to live, work and play.”