Proposals to merge Bradford Council with four authorities in West Yorkshire are to be put to the public.

A consultation to gain views from businesses, the public and other groups on whether the five councils in the county and Metro should work together is now open.

The combined authority – comprising of Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees – would be a statutory body taking on the role of Local Transport Authority and Economic Prosperity Board, and the consultation is to find out whether people agree it would be an improvement.

All five council cabinets and the Integrated Transport Authority agreed consultation would be of benefit.

Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan said he believed the move would create 20,000 jobs, and said it would lead to ‘significant investment in transport and economic infrastructure’.