FAQs

Background

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority have been working in partnership with Canal & River Trust, as well as our partner councils, to invest in and improve the canal towpath network across West Yorkshire, to enable more journeys on foot and by bike. 

The next phase of this programme of improvements will aim to improve areas of the towpath network along both the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. The areas identified for improvements are outlined below, and we are seeking your views on the proposals, to allow these plans to be taken to the next stage.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority, working in partnership with Canal & River Trust have delivered recent upgrades to Huddersfield Narrow Canal towpath between the Thornton Lodge area of Huddersfield and Milnsbridge, which were completed in October 2018.

Through this next phase of delivery, the Combined Authority and Canal & River Trust are developing plans to improve the section between Milnsbridge and Slaithwaite. 

Improvements to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal towpath will provide a safe, traffic free route towards Huddersfield.  People also use the towpath to travel to more local destinations.  The route provides people with an enhanced experience of travelling by foot and by bike on a quiet and traffic free route.  The towpath is also enjoyed by many for leisure use and accessing green space.

Such improvements also make it easier for people with mobility issues to access the towpath, and for everyone to share the space

Leeds & Liverpool Canal (Airedale Greenway)

Substantial sections of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath have already been upgraded, through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s CityConnect programme, and have been delivered in partnership with Canal & River Trust. The most recent phase of these improvements was between Riddlesden and Silsden and were completed in August 2018. 

Through this next phase of delivery, the Combined Authority and Canal & River Trust are developing plans to improve the sections between Apperley Bridge and Shipley, and between Silsden and Kildwick (in North Yorkshire).  These improvements will be delivered by Canal & River Trust, in partnership with Bradford Council.  

The Shipley section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath is close to the Shipley end of the Canal Road Greenway.  Improvements will help people who live or work close to the towpath to cycle on traffic free routes for almost all their journey to or from Bradford city centre.

The Airedale Greenway (Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath) is identified in Bradford’s Cycling Strategy as a key part of the strategic cycling network in Bradford.

Proposed improvements include:

Huddersfield Narrow Canal

• Upgrade and improve two sections along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal:
  1. Britannia Road Bridge, Slaithwaite to Bridge on Low Westwood Lane (Bridge 40)
  2. Bridge on Low Westwood Lane (Bridge 40) to Library Lock, Milnsbridge (Lock 11)
• Lay a new towpath surface to provide an even, accessible route for walking and cycling and for people using mobility aids that is in keeping with the rural nature of this section of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.
• To improve the accessibility of the towpath, and make it easier for more people to use, we will also look to see if we can:

- Change the angle of the slopes alongside some of the locks to make them less steep

- Lift and re-lay cobbled areas to make the surface smoother and more even

• Maximise available towpath width where possible, whilst maintaining grass verges, native plants and trees to support wildlife along the canal corridor.
• Install new signage and improve access points, removing any unnecessary access barriers.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

• Upgrade and improve three sections of towpath east of Shipley:
  1. Dock Lane Swing Bridge, Shipley to Rail Bridge 209A at the end of Dockfield Road.
  2. Rail Bridge 209A (Dockfield Road ) to Buck Hill Swing Bridge (off Buck Mill Lane / Thackley Rd)
  3. Strangford Swing Bridge (near Esholt Sewerage Work) to Dobson Locks, just north of Apperley Bridge
• Upgrade and improve one kilometre of towpath from Silsden to Cowling Swing Bridge, west of Silsden (towards Kildwick) .
• Lay a new towpath surface to provide an even, accessible route for walking and cycling and for people using mobility aids that is in keeping with the rural nature of these sections of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
• Maintain existing towpath widths and, where possible, increase up to two metres wide whilst retaining grass verges and other vegetation to support the ecology of the canal corridor.
• Install new signage and improve access points, removing any unnecessary access barriers.

The scheme is being delivered by Canal & River Trust, in partnership with Bradford and Kirklees Councils, through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s CityConnect programme. 

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.

The overall budget for the package of schemes being proposed is £1.86 million. This includes £500k from the Getting Building Fund, to support the proposed schemes within Bradford, which was recently secured by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, as part of a successful £52.6 million bid to government.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal

This proposal aims to build on work to improve the canal towpath from the centre of Huddersfield to Milnsbridge. These works were completed in October 2018. Currently, the towpath between Milnsbridge and Slaithwaite is often muddy and wet and some of the surfaces make the towpath difficult for users of wheelchairs, other wheeled mobility aids and pushchairs.

The scheme aims to upgrade and improve the towpath to create a much more useable towpath from Slaithwaite all the way into the centre of Huddersfield, providing an off-road, traffic free alternative to the busy main road running through the valley.

Our long-term aim would be to upgrade and improve the towpath all the way to Standedge Tunnel, in Marsden.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal (Airedale Greenway)

The towpath along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal connecting Leeds to Shipley and Bradford has seen a number of improvements over recent years. However, there remain a few short sections where the towpath hasn’t been improved and the surface can be uneven and often muddy and wet. This scheme aims to address that, by upgrading and improving the three sections of towpath described above.  

This will result in a continuous improved route from Shipley to Leeds enabling more people to use the canal for walking and cycling whether for journeys to work and school or simply for leisure and enjoying time spent by the canal.  It will also provide opportunity for people who live or work close to the towpath to cycle on traffic free routes for almost all their journey to or from Bradford city centre via Canal Road Greenway.

In addition, we also propose to upgrade and improve one kilometre of towpath from Silsden to Cowling Swing Bridge which sits on the border of West and North Yorkshire. This will complete towpath upgrades in the Silsden area within the bounds of West Yorkshire.

The aims of the scheme are to:

• Offer the residents in the area the choice of making more journeys by bike or on foot, by providing quality and safe pedestrian and cycling routes linking local communities and facilities.
• Contribute to an overall improvement in air quality and environmental impacts in the district by enabling more people to use sustainable and active modes of travel such as walking and cycling
• Improve accessibility so that more people are able to enjoy the mental health and wellbeing benefits of spending time beside the canal.

Following approval of the full business case for this project we expect to begin work on this scheme in Spring 2021.

Detailed design will commence following this public engagement and is aimed to be completed in 2020 for the Shipley and Huddersfield sections and by summer 2021 for the Silsden section.

The CityConnect programme has received funding through the Department for Transport-funded Cycle City Ambition Grant (CCAG) and local match funding – a combined £60m package of works aimed at improving cycling infrastructure across West Yorkshire and York to make cycling and walking the natural choice for short journeys. The programme is delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the five West Yorkshire councils and City of York Council.

The programme is currently developing a package of works to access up to £14.8 million funding through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, and the Leeds City Region Growth Deal - a £1 billion package of Government investment through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

The improvements in Bradford district are also being supported by the Getting Building Fund.

For more information visit www.cyclecityconnect.co.uk.

This scheme has funding allocated to it as part of the CityConnect 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 CityConnect programme.

Through the CityConnect programme, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority works in partnership with local authorities to deliver new cycling and walking routes and improving existing infrastructure. It also offers a range of free services, including free adult cycle training and support for businesses, schools and grassroots initiatives to boost the number of people travelling by bike or on foot.

For more information visit www.cyclecityconnect.co.uk.

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: www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk (opens in a new page)

Canal & River Trust is the waterways and wellbeing charity which cares for 2,000 miles of canal and river across England and Wales.

We welcome the opinions and feedback of anyone. Whether you live or work in the area or just travel through your views, opinion and insight is valuable to us to shape our project. 

Please share the link www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/canals 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.

The engagement is open from 23 November 2020 to 3 January 2021.

You can take part by

• Completing our survey here: www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/canals
• Asking a question in the question and answer (Q&A) section of the page
• Sending us an email at cityconnect@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
• Writing to us to our free post address (no need for a stamp): FREEPOST Consultation Team (WYCA)*

*Please note that, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the majority of our staff are working from home and therefore there will be significant delays in receiving any postal contributions. It is strongly recommended that you contact us via another method if possible.

Your comments will help inform the development of our plans and provide an opportunity to identify any issues that we are not aware of.

Updates will be provided on our website and to those who have registered to follow the project via www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/canals.