A £5 million improvement scheme for Manor Park bends could turn an accident black spot into a cyclist-friendly access road.

More key details about the safety improvement plan were revealed this week as a decision on the project was delayed until next Tuesday.

Bradford Council's executive committee, which was due to rubber-stamp the proposals this week, postponed its meeting out of respect for the Queen Mother's funeral.

But looking ahead to next week's decision, senior Highways design engineer Steve Barton has been explaining exactly what the work could mean for local residents.

He said: "The plan is based on the proposals we prepared for Manor Park bends two years ago, which if approved next week, will be used to bid for central government funding.

"The intention is that heading towards Ilkley from Burley by-pass, just after the roundabout, the new road will cut across the fields south of Manor Park and join back onto the existing road just to the east of The Little Chef.

"We are talking about 800 metres of new carriageway, creating in effect a very short by-pass. The existing road will still be linked to the roundabout and the idea is for it to become an access only route for residents, and also a safer road for cyclists, pedestrians and horses.

"With the main traffic using the new road there shouldn't be the turning and access problems for Manor Park householders which there are at the moment, and which have been the cause of some accidents."

The scheme is being recommended in a Council report which was drawn up at the request of Ilkley councillor and Bradford transport chief Anne Hawkesworth.

The document showed that accident rates trebled on the three kilometre section of the A65 last year, where three people were killed and 31 injured.

Now the Highways Agency looks set to impose a 40mph speed limit on the current and the new road. The Safety Camera steering group of the West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership, meanwhile, is considering recommending the addition of speed cameras to catch offenders.

As well as cutting accidents, the scheme aims to improve the general quality of life for Manor Park residents whose homes currently sit right beside a busy and noisy road.

Mr Barton said: "For someone living by the A65 at the Southway junction, the new road will be about 20 metres away, although further along the distance will grow to 50 metres.

"That may not sound like much, but it should make a real difference and we will also be looking at keeping existing tress and planting new ones to provide some screening between the two roads.

"The new section will be straighter overall but there will be no substantial, really straight stretch where motorists can build up speed, and we will also have two traffic islands to help pedestrians cross the road.

"One of the issues facing us is that it will be on a flood plain, so we will also have to create quite a high embankment for it, of around three metres."

The Council will now vote on the plans, which have been hailed by most local road safety campaigners, on Tuesday, April 16.

lA presentation on the scheme featuring colour maps will be held at Burley-in-Wharfedale Community Forum on April 18.