A radical set of "green" measures is being put forward as part of Bingley's controversial relief road scheme.

Bradford Council transport officials are recommending that it should reaffirm its support for the road to be built as soon as possible.

But their latest report says it should only go ahead as part of an integrated package of measures to solve the traffic problems along the Aire Valley corridor.

They include park and ride schemes, lanes for vehicles with more than one occupant, promoting bus and cycle use through Saltaire and Shipley.

Tony Plumbe, chairman of Bingley Environmental Transport Association (BETA), which opposes the road, said: "This is a move in the right direction. This appears to be a shift in the Council's position but we cannot endorse the recommendations because they are still promoting additional road capacity in Bingley and that's something we don't agree with.

"We believe it is possible to manage the amount of traffic that needs to come through Bingley by a series of carrot and stick measures."

He said many of the measures put forward in the new report were ones which were originally suggested by BETA. Mr Plumbe said the group was in favour of a more far-reaching package of initiatives including a guided bus scheme to tackle traffic congestion.

The Council's transportation, planning and design committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the latest recommendations, which say that the relief road should not be seen as the only solution to the transport problem in the Aire Valley but should be backed up by a good public transport system.

Committee chairman, Councillor Latif Darr (Lab, Little Horton), said: "The sheer volume of traffic which goes through Bingley every day means that something has to be done to stop the town centre grinding to a halt.

"The relief road would attract local traffic which would relieve local villages like Harden, Wilsden, East Morton and Eldwick but the new road should not be promoted as a through route between the M62 and the M6.

"Some £23 million has already been spent on preparations for the road, which would be wasted if the road doesn't go ahead, and without the road there is a limit to what can be done to relieve the congestion in Bingley.

"As a result the Council and most people in the local community would like the road to be built as soon as possible and complementary measures introduced on the Shipley and Saltaire section."

But environmental objectors who have set up a protest camp at Rye Loaf in Bingley on the proposed route today hit out at the Council's support for the road being built.

Protester Oliver Robinson accused the Council of performing a U-turn on the relief road.

"For 12 years the Council opposed this road because it said the extra traffic pressures it would bring to Saltaire and Shipley would be unacceptable," he said.

"Does this mean that these extra traffic pressures no longer matter according to the Council?"

The new report follows two consultative documents by the Government on the role of trunk roads in England and the need to develop an integrated transport policy for areas like Bingley.

An announcement on the future of the Bingley relief road is expected in April.

Philip Smith, chairman of the Better Bingley Campaign, said: "If, by presenting it as a linked thing with an integrated transport policy, they think they can get it through better and quicker, then I agree with it.''

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