VITAL safety work on roads in the Ilkley area has been thrown into doubt by a major shake-up at the Government's Highways Agency.

Addingham bypass safety works at the Main Street junction and the Silsden Road roundabout, as well as a £3m accident reduction scheme at the Manor Park Bends between Ilkley and Burley-in-Wharfedale, had been planned by the Highway Agency as part of an on-going safety programme for the A65.

But the Government wants the Highways Agency to pass responsibility for the A65 in North and West Yorkshire over to local authorities and negotiations are currently taking place about implmenting this.

According to a Highways Agency statement, passing the responsibility for certain trunk roads on to local councils would give them the opportunity to develop an integrated transport strategy.

But it also means cash-strapped Bradford Council, and not central Government will have to fund any road safety improvement schemes on the A65, which seems unlikely in the present climate without massive subsidies.

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