AMBITIOUS plans of how West Yorkshire can tackle climate change include increasing the amount of bike journeys by 2,000 per cent in the next 18 years.

But one Councillor has questioned how realistic it is to expect the public to embrace cycling to the extent that there are 20 times the journeys by bike there are today.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority, made up of five local councils, including Bradford, has set a target for the region to be “net zero” carbon by 2038.

As part of get, it aims to reduce car travel by 21 per cent. This would be achieved by increasing walking by 78 per cent, increasing rail travel by 53 per cent, increasing bus travel by 39 per cent and increasing cycle journeys by 2,000 per cent.

Plans will make it easier for people to ditch cars for short journeys

It would also involve planting the equivalent of 420 football pitches worth of trees, restoring peatland, reducing food waste by 38 per cent, using more sustainable energy, retrofitting 700,000 homes with energy efficiency measures like loft and cavity wall insulation and installing heat pump heating systems in over 300,000 homes.

People would also be encouraged to eat less meat and dairy to lower the “emissions” caused by cows.

Following the publication of the report, regional partners from across the

The plan was discussed by members of the Combined Authority at an online meeting on Monday.

Calderdale Councillor Steven Leigh (Cons, Ryburn) said: “We want to increase walking by 80 per cent, and have 20 times more cycling.

“Are these figures achievable? Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council and Chair of the Combined Authority, replied: “We have to have ambition for the region, now is not the time to reduce that ambition.

“Relying on cars is not a sustainable way forward.”

Alan Reiss, Director of Policy, Strategy and Communications, said: “This report is what needs to be done. The next stage will be how it is done. It is very ambitious and will take time.”

Councillor John Pennington (Cons, Bingley Rural) said: “Have we taken into account the elephant in the room - Leeds Bradford Airport?”

The Airport is currently planning a major expansion plan, which would allow it to serve millions more passengers each year.

Noel Collings, Senior Project Officer said: “The contribution of emissions from Leeds Bradford Airport is quite a small proportion of emissions from the wider region. Road transport is the greater element.”

The report said aviation currently made up 3.6 per cent of emissions from the region.

The meeting was also told that better services from LBA would also reduce the number of car journeys to and from Manchester Airport.

Following the publication of the report, groups from across the transport, power, industry, buildings, land-use and agriculture sectors will be invited to have their say on what regional and national policies and actions need to be put in place.

This will be followed by a public consultation later in the year, before a new regional Tackling the Climate Emergency Action Plan is produced early in 2021.