Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

West Yorkshire Combined Authority is the owner and operator of the existing bus station and is responsible for making the improvements at Dewsbury Bus Station. The Combined Authority works with local authorities such as Kirklees Council and businesses across the region to create economic growth through infrastructure projects such as this.

The existing bus station is in need of improvements and the Transforming Dewsbury Bus Station scheme aims to address this through a transformation of the bus station building and its surroundings; including an improved interior, better accessibility for all bus station users and upgraded public entrances and exits that encourage people to travel by public transport.

Subject to approval and funding, construction is due to start late in 2022 and will take around twelve months to complete.

This scheme is part of a £20m package of transport projects to transform the way people travel in and around Dewsbury, including better access between the station and the town centre. A public consultation on the proposals for Dewsbury Town Centre will take place later this year. The exact funding allocation for the bus station scheme is under review, as feedback following public consultation helps inform what the priorities for the scheme are and detailed plans are finalised.

The proposal for a transformed bus station in Dewsbury was part of a competitive bid for funding from the Department for Transport’s ‘Transforming Cities Fund’ (TCF). This funding is given by the Government directly and is ring-fenced for this purpose, so cannot be used for other activities.

The Dewsbury Bus Station proposals are part of a wider package to transform the way people travel in and around the town, including better walking and cycling access between the station and the town centre. There will be a separate consultation regarding the proposed improvements in Dewsbury Town Centre later this year.

To encourage more people in and around Dewsbury to use public transport, the proposals aim to: 

• Transform passenger facilities and enhance customer experience 
• Improve accessibility and safety for all bus station users 
• Upgrade retail experience at the bus station
• Help regenerate Dewsbury town centre and make it easier for people to travel between the town centre and the station
• Boost walking and cycling access to make these forms of transport more attractive
• Make the bus station more energy efficient

The scheme will also contribute to the Leeds City Region’s objective to become a carbon neutral economy by 2038 by delivering an efficient bus station facility. Measures being considered include: 

• The use of environmentally friendly building materials 
• Reduced energy use by introducing efficiency measures, including LED lights and energy saving glazing
• Local energy generation through solar panels
   

The bus station will be an important transport hub and gateway into Dewsbury Town Centre, providing key connections for residents, visitors, students and workers to access employment, education, leisure and other essential services.

The scheme aims to deliver a modern, fit for purpose facility that complements Dewsbury Town Centre and encourages more people to travel by public transport.

This scheme will contribute to the Leeds City Region’s objective to be a carbon neutral economy by 2038 by delivering; an efficient bus station facility, local energy generation using solar panels, and reduced carbon emissions from private vehicles by encouraging people to travel by public transport, cycling and walking.

We will be aiming for the bus station to remain open as usual when construction work gets underway. Any disruption caused by the construction period will be actively managed by the Combined Authority, bus operators and Kirklees Council, but all services should continue to run. The transformation will not have a direct impact on the operation of any bus services in Dewsbury and may encourage bus operators to run additional services in the future.

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.

The programme will deliver:

• two new Park & Rides
• one new rail station
• four new foot and cycle bridges
• six new or improved bus stations and interchange hubs
• new high quality cycle routes along six corridors
• bus priority along six key bus routes to create more reliable and faster bus journey times
• 800 new cycle parking spaces
• seven improvements to Rail Station Gateways
• new Real Time Information and improved passenger experience across the network.  

The Combined Authority is working in partnership with local authority colleagues from Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, North Yorkshire, Selby, Wakefield and York councils on the TCF programme.

It is estimated TCF 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 by 2036
• make 33 million rail journeys easier by improvements to rail stations
• increase bus, rail, and walking and cycling trips by up to 6%, 4% and 7% respectively by 2036
• reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1.5% / 15,000 tonnes from car travel by 2036
• create more than 1,000 jobs and add up to £1 billion to the economy by 2036
• support connectivity to 650 housing sites and 220 employment sites
   

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 Transpennine Route Upgrade.

To date, there has been minimal impact of the programme as a result of COVID-19.  The majority of the schemes 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.

To find out more information and have your say visit www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/dewsbury where members of the public can have their say via an online survey or can ask questions via a ‘Q&A’ tool on the web page. 

Hard copies of the materials can be provided free of charge by calling 0113 245 7676 (MetroLine), via Freepost CONSULTATION TEAM (WYCA) or yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk.   

 You can share the link to the consultation page www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/dewsbury) to your friends, family and groups for them to have their say, or encourage them to get in touch with us using the contact details above.

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 and feel free to submit your response via email to yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk. Your comments will be recorded and included in the consultation feedback and analysis.   

The feedback will be analysed and will inform the development of more detailed plans for this scheme.

A consultation outcome report, outlining the key findings of the consultation, will be uploaded to this webpage on YourVoice (www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/dewsbury).