Bradford Council wants to buy a section of land by a compulsory purchase order to complete a major cycle route.

The site at the former Transperience Transport Museum, in Low Moor, Bradford, used to carry the railway between Bradford and Cleckheaton.

The Council claims the section is vital to complete the cycleway, known as Route 66, which will link the Spen Valley Greenway and the Aire Valley towpath route at Shipley.

The site is owned by Ogden Properties Ltd, of Boston Spa. The company has been in talks with the Council about a route through the development.

But the Council's executive committee will be asked to approve a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the section of land at its meeting on Tuesday.

The report to the committee states the order is necessary as negotiations with Ogden could "go on indefinitely".

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, executive member for the environment, said: "We have wanted to buy the land at Low Moor since 2000 and despite repeated requests to the owner we have not been able to progress the matter.

"Completing this section of Route 66 will give people the chance to enjoy the wonderful scenery across the district and will benefit their health by encouraging them to exercise."

David White, Ogden's group property surveyor, said he had no idea why the Council was contemplating a compulsory order.

He said: "We have built three new units on the site and provisions have been made for this stretch of the cycle path."

If the CPO is passed the route will follow the old railway line crossing under Cleckheaton Road and link up with Transperience Way and Merrydale Road through the Euroway Trading Estate, west of the M606.

Committee members will hear at the meeting that this is the only option that allows the cycle track to follow a direct, safe route at a low enough gradient to make it easy to cycle along it.

David Hall, area manager for Sustran, said he was disappointed that Ogden and Bradford Council had not been able to agree access to the route.

"Obviously that is what we would have preferred," he said. "But we are pleased that the Council is sufficiently determined to push this route through that it has applied for the order.

"That is a positive sign and we hope that a decision can be reached as soon as possible."