‘Doing nothing not an option’ on Keighley traffic

A multi-million pound scheme that would cut peak-time congestion went before Bradford Council’s Keighley Area Committee last night. It would see East Parade, Hanover Street and Cavendish Street turned into a one-way system.

Bradford Council has already dedicated almost £1.5 million to the scheme. While the committee agreed it would not completely solve Keighley’s traffic problem, they felt doing nothing would make things even worse.

East Parade traffic would go southbound, Hanover Street northbound and Cavendish Street eastbound.

After the committee gave it their blessing, highways officers will now draw up a detailed scheme for public scrutiny. It could be implemented in 18 months’ time.

Councillors at the meeting said traffic gridlock plagued Keighley at certain times of the day, and was putting off shoppers and visitors.

Joe Gring, transport planning officer, told councillors: “Developing a solution is not easy. We think this system will reduce congestion across the whole town centre.”

Coun Khadim Hussain said: “It won’t make that much difference, maybe knock a couple of minutes off a journey here or there. It doesn’t stack up as a business case, but we have to start somewhere. We can’t just sit here and say ‘we can’t do anything about the traffic’. I have sat at lights sometimes and they will change ten times before you move just a few metres.”

Chairman Coun Steve Pullen echoed the feeling that action was needed soon, adding: “Doing nothing is not an option.”

Coun Keith Dredge said: “I get the bus from Bracken Bank to the town centre, sometimes it takes ten minutes and other times it takes 25 minutes and that entirely depends on the traffic. The bus drivers always tell me ‘when are you going to sort this out’.”

• The committee also approved plans for a traffic calming scheme on Skipton Road in Silsden paid for by the developer of an eight-house estate off the road.