FAQs
- The proposals for this location are:
- To provide an improved waiting environment and facilities
- To provide better travel information
- To provide enhanced, safe, pedestrian routes
- To allow buses only to access the interchange to improve safety, enforced by violation cameras
- To provide segregated loading/servicing provision for the shops near the interchange
- Contribute to an overall increase patronage on public transport by improving the waiting environment and travel information provision
- Provide enhanced and safe pedestrian routes to the transport interchange
- Manage bus movements effectively to improve safety by allowing buses only to access the interchange
- Contribute to an overall improvement in air quality and environmental impacts in the district by encouraging more people to use the bus
- Do nothing – retain the existing waiting and information provision at this location and operational layout
- Low cost option – retain the existing waiting infrastructure and operational layout but improve the information provision
- Medium cost option – upgrade waiting and information provision, pedestrian routes and amend the operational layout – the preferred option which delivers the most benefits regarding improving journey times, improving safety, reducing congestion and coming within budget
- High cost option – medium cost option plus addition of cycling provision
What/where is Bramley Bus Interchange?
Bramley bus interchange is a facility located next to Bramley Shopping Centre, off the A657 Lower Town St.
What is being proposed?
There is an opportunity to enhance the customer experience at this location to include better waiting facilities and travel information.
Who is responsible for delivering the scheme?
West Yorkshire Combined Authority is responsible for delivering the scheme. Leeds City Council is working in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The Combined Authority works with Local Authorities and businesses across West Yorkshire and York to create economic growth through large and small scale infrastructure projects such as this.
What is the total cost of the scheme?
The estimated cost of the Bramley Bus Interchange scheme is £440,000.
Why do we need to do something?
Bramley has an existing, well used bus interchange but there is an opportunity to enhance passenger’s customer experience at this location, to include better waiting facilities such as upgraded shelters and real time information provision. The pedestrian routes within and around the interchange will also benefit from being enhanced and made safer.
What do you hope to achieve by making the improvements?
The aims of the scheme are to:
What other options have you looked at?
What are the timescales for delivering the scheme?
Subject to approval, works will start on site in 2020.
When will you have the detailed design?
Detailed design will commence following this public engagement and is aimed to be completed in early 2020.
When will you start work on the improvements?
Following approval of the full business case for this project we expect to begin work on this scheme in 2020.
Who can take part? Can I tell other people to take part?
We welcome the opinions and feedback of anyone. Whether you travel by public transport, walk, drive, or cycle, are a business owner, or just travel through the area, your views, opinion and insight is valuable to us to shape our project. Please share the link[www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/Bramleybus] with anyone you think would be interested in taking part. If you intend to submit a joint response on behalf of a group/organisation, please share the link with your colleagues/members so they have the opportunity to provide an individual response, should they wish to do so.
When can I take part?
The consultation is open from Monday 16 September until Monday 14October.
How can I take part?
You can take part by visiting our website: www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/Bramleybus to review all the latest information, and find a link to a survey/feedback form to submit your views. You can also take part in the question and answer (Q&A) section of the page, if you have any questions not suitably answered by these FAQs. If you would like to submit your feedback by email, please do so to: yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk, or in writing to: FREEPOST Consultation Team (WYCA).
Who is paying for the improvements? Where is the money coming from?
The scheme is being delivered by West Yorkshire Combined Authority with funding from the Connecting Leeds programme.
What is Connecting Leeds?
In December 2016, Transport Committee considered the submission of the Leeds Strategic Outline Case, which was a £270m package of measures to improve public transport in Leeds District. It included the £173.5m which had previously be identified for the NGT trolleybus project. The documentation was submitted to the Department for Transport in December and is available at: http://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/News/Articles/Leeds-Transport-Strategy-submision/
Monies from Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority of £8.800m and £0.966m respectively will increase the funding to £183.266m. The programme also includes private sector finance including expenditure on more environmentally friendly buses by bus operators bringing the total programme investment to over £270m.
Following consideration of the submission, the Department approved the programme on 21 April 2017. The main conditions of the grant from the DfT are that the funding is to be used for public transport improvements in Leeds which must be substantially complete by March 2021. More information about those transport improvements can be found at: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/connecting-leeds-and-transforming-travel/
Can the money be spent on other things? (e.g. bus services, other projects)
This scheme has funding allocated to it as part of the Connecting Leeds programme and therefore the funding will not be able to be spent on any other proposals or scheme. If the Combined Authority does not accept the business case, then the scheme cannot go ahead and the money put aside for this project will be reallocated elsewhere in the Connecting Leeds programme.
What is the West Yorkshire Combined Authority?
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority was formed in April 2014 to be the driving force for economic growth across the Kirklees, Bradford, Leeds, Calderdale and Wakefield districts and the City of York Council area. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority brings together key decision-making powers into a single body. To find out more visit: (External link)www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk(External link) (opens in a new page).
What is the decision-making process?
An Expression of Interest for funding to investigate locations to improve local waiting facilities and information provision was approved in 2017. This provided around £80,000 of funding to develop the project to the Outline Business Case stage (OBC). The OBC develops preliminary designs, undertakes traffic modelling work to determine a preferred option and estimates scheme costs, risk etc.
The OBC was submitted to the Combined Authority’s assurance process in March 2019 and approved in May 2019. The project is now being developed to Full Business Case (FBC) stage which includes detailed design, public engagement. The FBC is expected to be submitted to the assurance process in October 2019, where approval to tender for the works will be made.
Will you be taking my land? Is land/property at risk?
As the works are within the existing public highway it will not be necessary to acquire land.
Will there be any changes to on-street parking?
There is no on-street parking at this location currently. Part of the proposals include segregated loading/servicing provision for the shops near the interchange.
Will there be any changes to my bus route?
There will no changes to the bus routes currently serving this location.
Will the work on site impact on my bus route?
Work on-site will not impact any bus routes.
Will any work on site be carried out during the day, and what will you do to minimise any impact on businesses/residents?
The phasing of roadworks still need to be planned. Nearer the time of construction local residents and businesses will be provided with more detail about what will happen and where, but overall disruption will be kept to a minimum.
Will any roadworks be carried out at night and what will you do to minimise any impact on residents?
It will not be necessary to carry out any roadworks at night. All roadworks will be carried out during the working day, with some work possible carried out on a weekend.
Will I be compensated if the works on site, or the finished scheme disturbs my business/property, or decreases its value?
In certain circumstances, compensation can be paid for loss of amenity and value of property through Part 1 of the Land Compensation Act 1973. Claims through Part 1 of this Act are valid after 12 months of the opening of the scheme.
Compensation is payable if it can be demonstrated that the highway improvements have negatively affected the value of land and buildings. Land and property owners would need to submit a ‘blight claim’ to the Council if they consider that the improvements have negatively impacted on the value of the land and buildings.
Will I be compensated if the scheme increases noise levels in my business/property?
This scheme will maintain the current level of bus services operating at this location so there will be no increase in noise levels as a result of the improvements.
Will you require planning permission to do this work?
No, as all of the work is within the public highway, it is classed as permitted development granted to the Highway Authority under the Town and Country Planning Act. We can also use our powers under the Highways Act to do this work.
How will bus users benefit?
Bus users will benefit from these improvements through access to better real time information provision and enhanced waiting facilities. The general environment of the interchange will also be improved.
How will non-bus users benefit?
Non-bus users will benefit from these improvements in terms of enhanced and safer pedestrian routes within and around the interchange and increased quality of the general environment of the area.
Will existing bus stops be improved?
Yes, the existing bus stops at this location will be upgraded.
Will there be any new bus stops? And will these be outside my house/business?
There will be no additional bus stops provided within this project. The four bus stands currently at this location will be upgraded, with Stand D being moved and placed within the central grass verge.
Will any bus stops be taken away?
The bus stop currently has four stands and this number of stands will be retained. Stand D however will be moved from its current location and placed within the central grass verge at the interchange.
Will all bus routes in the area continue to operate?
All bus routes in the area will continue to operate.
What engagement/feedback has already been done? How are you engaging with the public, businesses and stakeholders?
In 2016 we started a conversation with people who live and work in Leeds about the future of transport in the city. We had more than 8,000 responses, with a clear message that improvements need to be made to public transport.
A number of schemes were identified from this transport conversation and some small scale engagement took place through the Leeds Community Committees. Since then, local ward members have reviewed the refined list of schemes located in their areas.
We are now at the next stage in developing this scheme and residents, businesses and the general public are now being given an opportunity to comment on these proposals.
Will my comments be considered, or have decisions already been made?
From 16 September to 14 October we are running a public engagement and inviting comments and questions from the public. Your comments will help inform the current proposals and provide an opportunity to identify any issues that we are not aware of.
Who can take part?
We welcome opinions and feedback from anyone. Whether you travel by public transport, walk, drive, cycle are a business owner or just travel through the area, your views and insight is valuable to us to shape our scheme.
How do I take part?
You will be able to fill in an online survey or visit us at a drop-in session. More information about this is on the project page: www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/Bramleybus
I work for a group/organisation and transport is important to the staff/business, can I take part in the engagement with shared views?
Yes, we would welcome any group/organisational views on this scheme. Please make sure that you have permission to comment on behalf of your group/organisation.
Can I tell other people to take part?
Yes, please share the link to the project page with anyone you think would be interested in taking part. If you intend to submit a joint response on behalf of a group/organisation, please share the link so people have the opportunity to provide an individual response, should they wish to do so.
What will you do with the results?
Your comments will help inform the current proposals and provide an opportunity to identify any issues that we are not aware of.
Will you keep me updated on progress?
Updates will be provided to those who have registered to follow the project via www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/Bramleybus and via press articles.