A PROPOSAL to reopen Arthington Station as part of a strategy of 'greener' public transport has run up against opposition.

MP Harold Best (Labour, Leeds North West) is keen to explore the prospect of re-opening a station in the village to tackle problems such as the congestion of commuter traffic, but parish councillors fear such a scheme could be a costly and unwanted transformation.

Mr Best met representatives of RailTrack this month to explore the chances of resurrecting the now-defunct station, a project in which he has had a long-term interest.

But Arthington parish councillor Clive Fox said that the scheme would be very costly, disruptive for the village and that funds would be better spent improving the bus service.

Coun Fox said: "The local concern is the traffic consequences, particularly parking and the land take to create a car park. Access is very poor from a road safety point of view, and land would have to be compulsorily acquired from private land owners for a car park. It would disrupt the local community down there.

"Already there is concern about the possibility of a hotel facility being built at the Wharfedale pub and the two taken together could represent a complete transformation of that part of Arthington.

"The traffic problems are not simply extra traffic on the Pool-Arthington Road, there will be a temptation for Creskeld Lane to be used to gain access to the parking. That is if it is a success."

And Coun Fox doubted that there could be a positive outcome from the project, saying that other avenues of public transport would be better explored.

He said: "The whole thing is something of a white elephant because of the huge investment that would be required, time-tabling and the signalling problems in Bramhope tunnel.

"The main concern of Arthington Parish Council when it comes to public transport is the virtual absence of a bus service.

"We at best have one in the evening and one in the morning. If money is going into public transport, it would be much better going into bus services that would service commuters who would be going into Leeds."

Mr Best said that he was well aware of difficulties with the scheme, but that his meeting had shown that RailTrack representatives were not hostile to the idea.

Mr Best said: "There are consequences but I am hoping that if we get the proposal for the reopening of Arthington Station formally established then all the problems that would flow from that decision could be tackled.

"If we want to let potential problems put an end to ideas, we wouldn't do anything. We have got to tackle the problem of the burden of excessive numbers of private and commercial vehicles going through Pool and Arthington. We have got questions about the east of Otley bypass and doing a number of things about easing the traffic burden in the area.

"I have met with RailTrack and they are going to let me know what their view is about this and what the potential is for sinking a shaft to the Bramhope tunnel. They are not hostile to the idea and other people are thinking about it."

He added that there were many difficulties, but that all possibilities to look at easing the traffic burden had to be seriously considered.

He added: "There is a growing burden on the road network. It is looking at the possibilities of improving the public transport system in a green agenda."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.