A petition has been started in an attempt to save a closure-threatened bus station.

The axe has been hanging over Cleckheaton bus station since it was included on a list of potential ‘budget savings’ in a report by Metro, the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority. But people in Cleckheaton have reacted angrily to the proposal, claiming it would not make sense to shut down a well-used station that only opened four years ago at a cost of £2 million.

Now a petition has been started by the town’s three Liberal Democrat ward councillors urging transport chiefs to spare the station, in Dewsbury Road, Cleckheaton.

Councillor Andrew Pinnock said he had been told by Metro that closing the building would save £25,000 a year, but it would cost £20,000 to keep the empty building secure.

Meanwhile, Councillor Kath Pinnock said: “The Lib Dem team campaigned hard to get the new bus station built.

“It is used by thousands of people every week. We have launched a petition to Save Cleckheaton Bus Station. We need to show Metro that local people will not tolerate the closure of our Bus Station.”

The petition says: “We are appalled that Metro are threatening to close our Bus Station to ‘save’ money. It was built just four years ago and is used by thousands of local people. Please keep out bus station open.”

Last month, a report entitled Spending Cuts – Implications for Metro, set out the ‘likely options’ to be considered if large-scale cuts are needed after the Government’s Comprehen-sive Spending Review.

It said some smaller bus stations such as Batley, Cleckheaton or Ossett, could be closed.

The cuts could also have an impact on FreeCityBus services that operate in Bradford and other urban centres in West Yorkshire.

The report also warned that local bus services in Haworth, Wharfedale, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge could be “under threat” if the rural bus subsidy grant was lost or reduced.

Savings could be found from subsidised Sunday, early-morning and evening bus services.

No decisions have yet been taken on where the axe will fall. Metro is expected to hold a budget briefing before Christmas, when the picture is expected to become clearer.