Proposal to create a bus gate in Shipley town centre have been dropped due to a “lack of political support.”
But one Shipley Councillor made a point that this opposition came from “Parliamentary level.”
In Spring 2021, Bradford Council revealed plans to make Shipley town centre more attractive to pedestrians.
The most eye-catching of the proposals was to close a short section of Kirkgate, between the town’s indoor and outdoor markets, to traffic other than buses, taxis and bicycles.
And a section of Westgate, between Kirkgate and the Junction with Atkinson Street – in front of the Sun Hotel, would be closed to all traffic.
Some town centre streets would become one-way, parking bays removed and cycle lanes added.
But a recent report into a number of traffic schemes across the District has revealed the plans have been dropped – with he Council citing a lack of political support.
After the announcement of the scheme, Shipley MP Philip Davies said any plan to reduce car access in the town centre was “idiotic dogma.”
He claimed the scheme was “anti-motorist” and would “decimate the local economy.”
A public consultation into the proposal led to a mixed response.
At a meeting of Bradford Council’s Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee last month members were given an update on various traffic schemes.
Of the Active Travel schemes to boost walking and cycling, the Shipley Bus Gate plan and a proposed active travel neighbourhood in Frizinghall had been dropped.
Referring to the bus gate scheme, Councillor Anna Watson (Green Shipley) said: “The report says there was a lack of political support. I’d just like to point out that this was at a Parliamentary level.
“The Town Council was very supportive of this, and the ward Councillors were supportive of this. That should be noted.”
Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Executive for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said the lack of political support was the main issue, but not the only one.
He said: “Some people were in favour of it, and wanted it to go even further with pedestrianisation of Westgate – they felt the bus gate was not enough.
“Others wanted through traffic to remain. They felt people would be driving past a shop and say ‘I want to buy that’ and parking up to go into that show.
“We looked at the way traffic would be re-routed and there were some issues.
“Wilco also raised concerns about access issues.”
