Dewsbury Town Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements

Please note this consultation has now closed. The Outcome Report can be viewed here.

The information and proposals from the consultation, which took place between 18 July - 22 August 2022, can be found below.

To view all updates on this project please visit the Dewsbury Blueprint website. 

Kirklees Council, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, is proposing a series of walking and cycling improvements across Dewsbury town centre. 

In 2021 we asked for your feedback on initial proposals to improve walking and cycling in and around Dewsbury town centre. We have made some changes based on your feedback, and we would now like to hear your views on the updated proposals.

How can I get involved?

We recommend you view the plans and read this page first to find out more about the scheme.

• Complete the survey to give us your feedback
• Read our frequently asked questions (FAQs) or ask us a question below
• Tell others about this consultation
• Join us at an event to speak to the project team:

The proposals 

During the initial consultation between 7 October to 7 November 2021, most of the proposals received your support. They are now being progressed through the next design stage. The proposals with less support are no longer being progressed or, where similar benefits could be achieved, new or changed options are now proposed.

You can find out more about the original proposals and the feedback we received during the earlier consultation here.

Which proposals need further consultation? 

Some areas, such as the Ring Road and Aldams Road, did not receive as much support as others. We heard concerns about the potential impact of reducing traffic lanes, a turning ban, creating new cycle tracks and footpath widening. 

We are now asking for your views on the updated proposals in the following areas:

• Halifax Road / Bradford Road junctions: Crossing improvements for walking and cycling, and new cycle lanes
• Aldams Road: Improved shared-use path, cycle facilities and planting
• Battye Street / Rockley Street: Improved footpaths, new road safety measures and upgraded access
• Wilton Street / Link Road / Longcauseway South: Improved shared-used path, cycle facilities and planting
  

Which proposals are being progressed?

The proposals that received support and are being progressed to the next design stage are:

• Bond Street: Wider footways and surface paving
• Wellington Street: New uphill cycle track, and pedestrian and cycle crossings
• Grove Street: Wide footways and rearranged parking
• Church Street / Westgate: Improved footpaths, side-road crossings, new cycle facilities, new trees, and planting
• South Street: New road safety measures including a 20mph zone, crossing points and planting
• Railway Street: Traffic calming and improved crossing points

You can find out more about the supported proposals here.

The plans for Bond Street and Wellington Street are being progressed as part of Dewsbury Towns Fund programme rather than the Transforming Cities Fund.

From 20 July, Kirklees residents will also be asked to have their say on the Dewsbury Town Park designs. To find out more about the new designs, and how you can get involved, visit our Dewsbury Town Park page. 

Aims of the scheme 

Providing an accessible, attractive and cleaner alternative to car journeys is at the heart of the Transforming Cities Fund programme. The Dewsbury Town Centre Walking and Cycling scheme is part of this major new programme of transport infrastructure investment secured as part of the West Yorkshire devolution deal.

This scheme also aims to support the Dewsbury Blueprint (a 10-year plan that seeks to regenerate the town and provide for future growth in the area), the Strategic Development Framework and Kirklees Local Plan by:

• Making it easier and safer for more people to walk, cycle and use the bus 
• Providing a better customer experience at Dewsbury Bus and Rail stations by improving ways to get there via walking and cycling
• Supporting people to access education and employment with low-cost travel choices
• Improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions from vehicles 
• Encouraging businesses to move into the area, and helping regeneration and growth, by making it a more attractive place to work (see the Town Investment Plan)

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 promoting transformational change.

In addition, the proposals aim to help connect the town centre with other areas of planned investment, such as Dewsbury Bus Station, the Transpennine Rail Upgrade, the Mirfield to Dewsbury to Leeds (M2D2L) and A638 Corridor Improvement schemes.

Have your say

Get involved between 18 July and 22 August and tell us your thoughts on the proposals:

• View the plans and complete the survey
• Join us at an event to speak to the project teams
• Read our frequently asked questions (FAQs) or ask us a question below
• Tell others about this consultation

The survey has now closed

Events

We will be hosting four drop-in information events and three online webinars. At the events you can hear about the proposals from the project team and ask any questions. 

Details of the events can be found at the top of this page. Please share the details with other people who would be interested in attending. 

If you would like to contact us, or request information in an alternative format, you can:

• email yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
• phone MetroLine on 0113 245 7676
• write to Freepost CONSULTATION TEAM (WYCA) 

You can also print the survey and send it back to our freepost address

Next steps 

All of your views and comments will be put together in an outcome report and used to shape and inform the scheme. The report will be made available later this year.

Exciting changes ahead for Dewsbury

There are several other investment projects in the town, alongside the Dewsbury Town Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements scheme. They each seek to improve the transport connectivity in the town:

• Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) – including this scheme, with upgraded walking and cycling routes
• West Yorkshire Transport Fund – Mirfield-Dewsbury-Leeds Corridor project
• Transforming Cities Fund ‘Early Wins’ – completed links to and facilities at Dewsbury Rail Station
• Active Travel Fund – funds part of the linkage between Calder Greenway and the Rail Station
• Dewsbury ‘Towns Fund’ – regeneration projects including sustainable transport schemes, including Bond Street and Wellington Street
• Kirklees Council Capital – regeneration projects and highway infrastructure schemes

These are being developed on various timeframes and there is some overlap between the proposed schemes in each.