FAQs

Kirklees Council is responsible for delivering the scheme. Kirklees Council is also 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 infrastructure projects such as this. To learn more about the Combined Authority, visit: https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/(External link). 

The scheme is being funded through £6 million of development funding from Transforming Cities Fund (TCF). Providing an accessible, attractive, and cleaner alternative to car journeys is at the heart of the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) - a major new programme of transport infrastructure investment secured as part of the West Yorkshire devolution deal. 

The programme, which is being delivered by the Combined Authority in partnership with local authorities, will be funded through £317 million from the Department for Transport (DfT) plus local match funding up to £140 million. 

The objectives of the project are: 

1. Provide a continuous high-quality dedicated cycle facility to improve the attractiveness and quality of journeys for cyclists and encourage more people to travel by bike. 

2. Make it safer and easier for people to walk along and across this route to get to where they are going and to access Huddersfield Town Centre. Encourage more people to choose to walk. 

3. Provide more reliability for all road users along the route. 

4. Provide improved access to buses to encourage more people to use public transport. 

5. Provide improved air quality outcomes by reducing transport related carbon emissions.  

6. Improve safety on the highway for all road users. 

The visualisations show an aspirational concept design. Consultation will offer 3 differing visions for the route 

Therefore, plans show the outline designs for the route rather than detailed designs 

The scheme that is taken forward, and the designs of these schemes, will be based on public consultation feedback 

We will take on board comments on the proposed concepts and use this to inform the final proposed scheme before offering the public and stakeholders the opportunity to comment again 

The A629 Wakefield Road Sustainable Transport Scheme will contribute to Kirklees Council’s 2038 carbon neutral vision(External link), and the Combined Authority’s Net Zero Carbon Economy by 2038.  

Primarily, the project will attempt to encourage more people to walk, cycle and use the bus, through making these options more reliable, attractive, and achievable. 

Bus lanes will remain as per existing arrangements for all 3 options.

There will not be any new bus stops, but some current bus stops may be relocated and/ or upgraded as part of the route project. The scheme is at an early stage of development, and any proposed bus stop relocation will be determined when undertaking the next design stage with further consultation planned at that point.  

Possible changes to bus stops include using cycle lane bus stop bypasses to reduce interactions between cyclists and bus passengers and shared use areas around bus stops for both cyclists and pedestrians, providing access for pedestrians to buses. 

Cycle lanes along the A629 are being considered at this point in development. These proposals include three options; one-way cycle lanes on both sides of the road, a two-way cycle lane on the north side of the road or a ‘quiet streets’ hybrid option cycle routes (mixture of advisory cycle lanes and signs to provide cyclists a safer route through roads with lower motor vehicle traffic volumes) and one-way cycle lanes on both sides of the road near Shorehead Roundabout. 

As part of our scheme consultation, we will engage with local cycle groups. As the scheme is still in its early stages, we would like to hear your thoughts on our proposals to help us develop the plans. 

The proposed cycle facilities will be designed in line with the latest design recommendations from the Department for Transport, which will ensure that safe access to properties is maintained through construction and as part of the final scheme. Where parking is to remain or is proposed the cycle lanes will be designed to ensure safety for both access to parking and passing cyclists. 

Certain design options within the scheme may impact on local parking on the highway along certain stretches of the A629. Local parking will be retained where possible to minimise impact to local businesses. These are annotated on the scheme plans supporting this consultation. This will be developed as the scheme evolves, and residents, businesses and any other stakeholders will be consulted on the detail before any changes can be made. 

It is currently envisaged that the scheme will not require land outside the existing highway boundary or land owned by Kirklees Council, however this will be confirmed as design progresses. Any affected landowners would be contacted directly by the project team. 

It is not currently proposed to remove any trees, however this will be dependent on the final scheme design and tree surveys currently being undertaken. In the unfortunate event we must remove a tree, we will comply with policies outlined in the Kirklees Local Plan, including the recently adopted Open Space Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which refers to biodiversity net gain. 

The phasing of roadworks on the public highway still needs to be planned. Nearer the time of construction, local residents and businesses will be provided with more detail about where and when work will happen. 

The detail of the roadworks and timings of this will be determined closer to the time of construction. Roadworks would only be carried out at night in very limited circumstances to meet traffic operational requirements and residents would be informed well in advance. 

The scheme is checked through sequenced decision gateways in the Assurance Process(External link) of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. There are five business case gateways within this assurance process.  At each stage, recommendations on the scheme are made by an officer-based appraisal team to the relevant committee(s) of elected members of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. There are five business case gateways within this assurance process. At each stage, recommendations on the scheme are made by an officer-based appraisal team to the relevant committee(s) of elected members. 

Funding for the early phase of the scheme was secured through The Combined Authority to allow Kirklees Council to start developing and promoting the scheme. This has allowed us to undertake initial studies and business case development, optioneering and outline designing. This project is still at an early stage of development. The schemes have been through the Combined Authority and Kirklees Cabinet approvals process at Strategic Outline Case stage. 

Kirklees Council are undertaking early consultation on this scheme to understand the opinions of the public and of key stakeholders before undertaking more detailed design and analysis which will consider feedback from this first consultation. The analysis will include  

•Further junction modelling using computer software to determine benefits and any impacts on user journey times 

•Continued discussion with stakeholders such as local Councillors, businesses, resident groups, and local action groups 

•Appraisal to help determine whether the proposals offer ‘value for money’ against defined Department for Transport criteria 

Kirklees Council will undertake further public consultation once designs have developed and more information can be provided on the quantified benefits and impacts – for example what journey time savings might bus passengers experience, the number of new pedestrian crossing points or specific areas of new pavement space. This second phase of consultation is expected to take place in 2022. 

The consultation period will take place from 02 November until 30 November 2021. You can have your say via https://www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/a629 or email yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk. We are keen to hear from local residents, businesses and other road users. 

Providing an accessible, attractive and cleaner alternative to car journeys is at the heart of Leeds City Region’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) - a major new programme of transport infrastructure investment secured as part of the West Yorkshire devolution deal. 

The programme will be funded through £317 million from the Department for Transport (DfT) plus local match funding of up to £140 million.   

In partnership with local authorities, the Combined Authority will deliver transformational infrastructure, which will dramatically improve people’s access to walking, cycling and public transport. 

It is estimated TCF schemes will improve journeys by bus, rail, bike and on foot for up to 1.5 million people, take up to 12 million car trips per year off our roads and reduce CO2 emissions from car travel by up to 15,000 tonnes by 2036.   

Communities across Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield and York are set to benefit from the schemes, which include new or improved bus and rail stations, cycling and walking infrastructure, and new Park and Rides. 

It is estimated TCF will: 

As part of the West Yorkshire devolution deal, the Combined Authority secured £317 million from the DfT’s TCF programme to deliver schemes in the low-cost scenario. 

Since then, the Combined Authority has approved the use of future gain share funding, alongside other income streams, to deliver the high-cost scenario up to an additional £140 million.   

This additional funding will help us deliver more transport improvements, which will benefit communities across West Yorkshire.  

This work is more important than ever, not only as we look to address the health and economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in helping us achieve our aim of becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038. 

We need to reduce car trips by 21% and increase cycling trips by 2,000%, walking trips by 78%, bus strips by 39% and rail trips by 53% if we are to achieve our ambitious net zero targets in this time frame.  

The programme will connect people to economic and education opportunities through accessible, affordable, attractive and cleaner transport, boosting productivity and helping to create healthier and happier communities for the future.   

Through the programme and building on the significant progress already made, we are working in partnership to transform our town and city centres for walking and cycling, improve bus reliability and journey times, and investing in our region to prepare for HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade. 

Communities across Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield and York are set to benefit from the schemes, which include new or improved bus and rail stations, cycling and walking infrastructure, and new Park and Rides. 

The programme is focused on connecting people in the communities of greatest economic need with job and training opportunities.  This will, in turn, help boost productivity, living standards and air quality.    

There are 22 packages of schemes, comprising between 30 and 35 individual projects, within the overall programme. 

Different schemes are at different stages, right through from the development of business cases and designs, to gearing up for public consultation, with construction already started at Halifax Bus Station redevelopment Find out more information at westyorks-ca.gov.uk/TCF(External link)  

To date, there has been minimal impact of the programme as a result of COVID-19.  The majority of the projects are at the early stages of development and much of the work required can be carried out virtually.   As the schemes move to the next stage of delivery, we will continue to monitor the impact and identify any risks to delivery.   

We are also looking at best practice ways of delivering public consultations and engagement activity to ensure all members of the community get the opportunity to have their say on TCF schemes during COVID-19.   

The full implications of COVID-19 on the region, the economy and the transport system are still to be understood and the impact on the Combined Authority’s programmes and schemes to date has been mixed.  

We are working closely with our local authority partners at every level of our appraisal process to ensure delivery timescales have taken into account the current issues and that each scheme is stress tested to ensure its ongoing viability.  

In the wake of COVID-19 it is more important than ever to assess the changes to the landscapes of our towns and cities, and the impact on current and future planned schemes, particularly, but not exclusively, those relating to transport.  

The impact of COVID-19 in relation to travel behaviour into and around towns and cities is assessed as part of each scheme’s appraisal.  

While public transport patronage is currently lower than pre COVID-19 levels, it remains a priority to invest in public transport infrastructure to both help with economic recovery and to have the required infrastructure in place to respond to an increase in demand post-COVID-19.