Cycle routes and one-way lanes among transport plans for Dewsbury town centre

The plans, which have been developed by Kirklees Council in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, will make it easier for people to travel by bus and to walk and cycle.

The project aims to increase walking and cycling connections in Dewsbury and will help to maximise the benefits of significant planned investments into the Transpennine Rail route and Dewsbury Bus Station.

It will also support the delivery of the Dewsbury Blueprint, the 10-year plan that seeks to regenerate the town and allow for growth in the area.

Plans include new cycle routes including one-way contraflow lanes, widened pavements on priority walking routes, improved pedestrian crossings at major junctions across the ring road, traffic calming measures, and new trees and landscaping areas.

In summer 2020, the Mirfield-Dewsbury-Leeds project was put out to public consultation and included proposals for some streets that have now been brought into this scheme. These streets include: Bond Street, Wellington Street, Grove Street, Church Street/Westgate and Railway Street/ Longcauseway South.

Each of these schemes received support and constructive comments in the consultation exercise in 2020, however updated design proposals are now being re-consulted on in this project.

Councillor Eric Firth, Kirklees Council's cabinet member for town centres, said: “The town is in the middle of an ambitious period of investment and regeneration that has already seen major successes.

"Dewsbury sits at the heart of the North Kirklees Growth Zone, a long-term regeneration initiative that will promote transformational change in the town.

“Enhancing low-cost travel choices will increase access to skills and employment as well as improving air quality and reducing travel-based carbon emissions.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Making it easier to cycle and walk, as well as travel by bus and train, is at the heart of my mayoral pledges to make transport work for people and tackle the climate emergency on our way to becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038.

“A better and more inclusive transport network goes beyond getting people from A to B. It is about making sure everyone can access job, education and training opportunities and getting all of us - our people, our communities, our businesses - to where we want to be as a region.”

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority transport committee, said: “From connecting us with the places we need to go to tackling congestion, improving air quality and boosting our health and well-being, enabling more people to walk and cycle is a vital part of making our region an even better place to live and work.

“We are pleased to be working in partnership with Kirklees Council on this important scheme, which will make it easier for people to move around our region, and I would encourage everyone to make the most of this opportunity to help shape these plans by taking part in the public consultation.”

These schemes are being delivered through the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund programme, which is aimed at providing a viable alternative to car journeys.

There are more than £66million worth of transport improvement schemes being delivered through this programme in Kirklees.

The public consultation is now open and runs until November 7.

For more information and to have your say, visit https://www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/dewsburyactivetravel