Spen Valley Greenway between Cleckheaton and Oakenshaw set for upgrade

National walking, wheeling and cycling charity Sustrans has announced plans to upgrade access and surfacing on a 2.5mile section of the popular off-road path between Whitechapel Road in Cleckheaton and Victoria Park in Oakenshaw.

This whole section of the greenway will be closed while work, in conjunction with Kirklees and Bradford councils, is being carried out.

The improvements will start on Monday, February 12 and will take around three months to complete.

The work includes improving access at Laithe Hall Avenue and Green Lane to help people with wheelchairs, pushchairs, and adapted bikes get onto the greenway more easily. The team will create a smooth surface, remove tree roots, and widen the path.

Josh Molyneux, Network Development Manager at Sustrans, said: “We’re very pleased to have received funding to upgrade this section of the Spen Valley Greenway.

“It’s an extremely well-used traffic-free path, enjoyed by the whole community. School children walk or cycle to school, and many people use it as part of their walk or cycle to work, as well as for leisure walks, runs and bike rides.

“The resurfacing work and access point improvement will help to open up the path to people on mobility scooters, wheelchairs and other mobility aids, and to make it easier for families with double buggies or larger cycles.”

Sustrans received funding from the Department for Transport to carry out the improvements on the greenway as part of its national Paths for Everyone programme to create a high-quality National Cycle Network that everyone is able to access.

Counc Moses Crook, Cabinet Member for Housing and Highways at Kirklees Council, said:

“As a council we are absolutely committed to making it a safer and easier choice for people to travel by walking, wheeling or cycling. These upgrades to the Spen Valley Greenway will help even more people to make the shift to more sustainable and active forms of transport.”

The Spen Valley Greenway is part of National Route 66, a former railway line that runs from Dewsbury to Oakenshaw. It is a popular path for people walking and cycling for leisure, as well as commuting to school and workplaces.

To find out more about the improvement works and future updates, visit www.arcg.is/HfOCr