Huddersfield Narrow Canal and Leeds & Liverpool Canal engagement

Background

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s CityConnect programme is delivering improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure and routes across the region.

Working in partnership with councils across West Yorkshire and York, we are aiming to improve and encourage more people to make more everyday journeys by bike or on foot.

Improvements to the canal towpath network

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has been working in partnership with Canal & River Trust, as well as our partner councils, to invest in and improve the canal towpath network across West Yorkshire to enable more journeys on foot and by bike and make it more accessible for wheelchair users.

The next phase of this programme of improvements will aim to improve areas of the towpath network along both the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. We are now seeking your views on these proposals to allow these plans to be taken to the next stage.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal towpath improvements - map available here or in documents section

The proposed improvements in Kirklees will focus on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal from Milnsbridge to Slaithwaite. These proposals include:

• Improving the towpath surface to make it easier for people to walk and cycle, and make it more accessible for people with mobility difficulties or people who use mobility aids to access for the route
• Reducing the steepness of slopes alongside locks and relaying cobbled areas to make smoother surfaces where possible, improving the accessibility of the towpath and making active journeys easier
• Widening the towpath, where possible, while also keeping grass verges and native plants and trees to support wildlife
• Putting in new signs and removing any unnecessary access barriers

Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath improvements - map available here or in documents section

• Apperley Bridge to Shipley
• Silsden to the West Yorkshire border

The proposed improvements in Bradford will focus on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and on two distinct areas; between Apperley Bridge to Shipley and from Silsden towards Kildwick, but ending at the West Yorkshire border.

These proposals include:

• Improving the towpath surface to make it easier for people to walk and cycle, and make it more accessible for people with mobility difficulties or people who use mobility aids to access for the route
• Widening the towpath, where possible, while also keeping grass verges and native plants and trees to support wildlife
• Putting in new signs and removing any unnecessary access barriers

The overall budget for the package of schemes being proposed is £1.86 million. This includes £500k from the Getting Building Fund, to support the proposed schemes within Bradford, which was recently secured by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, as part of a successful £52.6 million bid to government.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority and partners are looking to secure the remaining funding for this scheme from the Leeds City Region Growth Deal — a £1 billion package of government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs.

Public Engagement

Between 23 November 2020 and 03 January 2021 we held a period of public engagement to gather the views of local residents and businesses.

The feedback we received during this period has now being analysed and the outcome reports are available in the 'Documents' section/

Contact us:

If you wish to contact us regarding this scheme you can do so using the following methods.

Via email: cityconnect@westyorks-ca.gov.uk

Via phone: 0113 251 7366

Via post: Freepost CONSULTATION TEAM (WYCA)*

*Please note that, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the majority of our staff are working from home and therefore there will be significant delays in receiving any postal contributions. If you can, please contact us using another method to ensure a quick response.

For more information about the project visit: cyclecityconnect.co.uk

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