Worries over impact of proposed new road

At a meeting on Tuesday, Coun Martyn Bolt said it was “disgusting” that Kirklees Council had not told members of Mirfield Town Council about the proposals.

As covered in the Reporter last week, Kirklees wants to use a £1bn transport fund to improve the junction at Cooper Bridge and build a new road between Mirfield and Dewsbury to take traffic away from the A644, Huddersfield Road.

Coun Bolt (Con, Battyeford) told Mirfield Town Council this week: “It is disgusting that Kirklees have not acted in conformity with their charter by trawling something in public which will have an enormous impact on Mirfield.”

Members of Kirklees Council’s cabinet were due to discuss the plan yesterday, as they voted on setting up a new West Yorkshire Combined Authority which will be responsible for the £1bn fund.

Details of the exact route have not yet been made public, but Coun James Taylor said he was concerned about the potential loss of green belt land around the A644.

On Monday, Coun Taylor said: “I have had numerous residents on since the weekend worried, saying, ‘Is it coming by my house?’ and I’ve just had to say to them I don’t know because Kirklees have not told us anything whatsoever.”

At Tuesday’s town council meeting, Coun Vivien Lees-Hamilton said it was her understanding that the road will be used to link the proposed new developments at Cooper Bridge and Chidswell.

Both sites have been earmarked for development under Kirklees Council’s Local Development Framework, angering campaigners who do not want to lose green belt land to housing and industry.

Coun Lees-Hamilton (Con Hopton) said: “Ravensthorpe will get all of the relief and Mirfield will get everything in between Cooper Bridge and Chidswell, and back again.”

• For more information on the background of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, turn to page six.