A councillor has welcomed plans to improve “woefully inadequate” parking at train stations in the district.

Jackie Whiteley, (Con, Wharfedale) whose ward includes Menston and Burley-in-Wharfedale, said she was pleased funds had been allocated to the area in the West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan and the West Yorkshire Transport Fund.

Parking at Menston Railway Station, along with that at Steeton and Silsden, will be improved in phase two of the plan (2015-2016) and Ben Rhydding and Shipley are included in phase three (2016-2018).

Councillor Whiteley said: “I was elected in November 2012 and promised to campaign to improve parking at local railway stations.

“To this end I met with senior officials at Metro and with senior planning officers at Bradford Council.

“Parking provision is woefully inadequate at the majority of local railway stations in Bradford.

“The resulting overspill into roads in the surrounding residential areas causes a nuisance to local residents and acts as a disincentive to travel on trains, particularly at off-peak times when car parks often remain full all day.

“Residents-only parking and double yellow lines near to stations simply push the issue further into surrounding areas and the trend of granting planning permission for large developments in satellite villages such as Menston and Burley-in-Wharfedale will only exacerbate the problem because the rail infrastructure is inadequate.”