Shipley town centre set to be transformed in £1million project

Shipley Streets for People aims to improve the town centre with a focus on its market square.

The project wants to create a safe and healthy place for people to visit, encouraging them to use more environmentally friendly methods of transport including cycling, walking and using public transport.

It wants to boost footfall for town centre shops and its market and reduce crashes on Shipley's roads and slash noise and air pollution.

The initiative has been awarded £1m of funding through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Integrated Transport Block programme as part of its West Yorkshire Transport Strategy 2040 programme.

Shipley town centre

The money would be allocated for schemes like boosting pedestrian and cycle links, improving air quality and introducing more greenery to the town centre. It was hoped it would help people ditch their cars when travelling around the town.

Leaflets explaining the scheme have been sent out to residents in the ward and the public consultation gets under way on Monday, March 1 and runs until Sunday, April 4.

People can have their say in an online survey at bradford.gov.uk/consultations

Councillor Kevin Warnes (Green Party, Shipley) has called for residents to have their say on what could be a radical scheme for the town.

He said: "It's got huge potential.

"This is a chance to have another close look at how the streets are used by everybody; motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

"In the long run it will deliver big environmental benefits, getting people out of their cars.

It will improve the quality of life for people in the Shipley ward

"It's a big challenge and this could effect quite a wide area and could be quite radical.

"We want to get as many people on board and listen to what they want. Nothing is off the table.

"It is their money, it's their council and it's their streets."

Shipley MP Philip Davies says he wants the scheme to work equally for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists travelling into the town centre.

He said: "I will never support any proposition being anti-car.

"Shoppers are not going to be travelling in to do their shopping on their bikes. Most of them will come by car.

"I say don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. We need to make the town centre more appealing for both cyclists and motorists.

This must not be an anti-car agenda

Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport, said: "We look forward to hearing residents’ and businesses’ ideas for the future of Shipley and will listen carefully to all the feedback to ensure that our town becomes an even better place to live, work and visit.

"I'm confident that with the support of our local community, we will develop plans for what promises to be an exciting new chapter in Shipley’s history.”

The first virtual session will be for stakeholders including local business groups and will be held on Wednesday, March 10.

An online public consultation session will be held on March 17, between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. The public will be given the chance to speak to project managers and designers about the project.

Go to eventbrite.co.uk/e/shipley-streets-for-people-drop-in-session-tickets to register.