A full planning application has now been submitted to Calderdale Council for Elland’s new £20 million rail station.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has submitted the application for the new railway station, with car park for 116 spaces, new pedestrian accesses, landscaping and associated works, at Lowfields Way, Elland.

Agents for the application, Atkins, say the site is well-served by existing road infrastructure including Lowfields Way, the A629 Calderdale Way, the Elland Riorges Link Road and the existing Calder Valley rail line.

Access to the site, which is just north of Elland town centre, is convenient for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users too, with 12 of the 116 parking spaces set aside for dsiabled people.

“This will be further enhanced by the proposed Elland Access Package which will improve walking and cycling links to the new rail station,” the company says in supporting statements submitted with the application.

Atkins argue the new rail station will have minimal impact on amenity and thus there is a “compelling” case for what the company describes as a “sustainable, strategic transport development.”

“It is intended that the proposed development will provide improved access to the rail network and encourage more sustainable, integrated travel whilst respecting the character of the area and surrounding land uses.

“The new station will encourage residents and commuters to use the public transport system, thereby taking traffic off the roads and reducing congestion,” says the supporting document.

The project, which is being delivered by Calderdale Council with WYCA, will see station platforms positioned on the existing embankment at an elevated level, with lift and stepped access provided from the car park level.

Associated with the overall scheme, two new pedestrian and cycle bridges crossing the River Calder and Calder Hebble Navigation are ultimately expected to be created and improvements to existing pedestrian and cycle routes, and public realm spaces across the project area made.

The council also hopes the new station will generate new jobs in Elland by making it more attractive to new businesses and support existing local businesses, and that it will also support future housing growth for Elland and western parts of Brighouse through improvements to the transport network.