We have been awarded over £8 million to make highways improvements in key locations.
The funding has been agreed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to cut congestion, promote a cleaner environment and support economic growth.
What will the money be used for?
It will be used for highways development works around Lockwood and Longroyd Bridge, which are both busy areas for traffic, and also to improve the Queensgate section of Huddersfield ring road to make it more attractive for pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.
The total funding from the Combined Authority’s West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund is £8.19million and detailed plans for each individual scheme will now be developed.
Councillor Peter McBride, Cabinet Member for Economy, said:
“This is great news for Kirklees. We are delighted to have secured this money for further investment in important routes.“The changes we make will reduce the delays faced by people driving in and out of Huddersfield and will bring health benefits thanks to improved air quality and better walking and cycling facilities.
They will boost economic growth by supporting communities and businesses, encouraging more investment in the local area.
This scheme of works will provide the critical infrastructure to service key sites in the Local Plan, which is coming for council approval on February 27th. It is yet another example of the council taking the lead in achieving a strong and productive economy which brings regeneration to the district.”
In total, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has just approved new schemes worth over £70 million across the region.
Cllr Peter Box, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Investment Committee, which approved the funding, said:
“Last year West Yorkshire Combined Authority invested over £150m in supporting businesses, improving transport, investing in skills and attracting jobs.
“All of them are designed to underpin our aims of generating economic growth across West Yorkshire and the Leeds City Region that will benefit all of our communities.”
Working closely with the Combined Authority, the council is already developing a large programme of road improvement works across Kirklees.
Local people were recently asked for their views on easing congestion around Cooper Bridge (A62/A644), Leeds Road (A62) and Halifax Road (A629).
The West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund is supported through the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of government
Fully agree. The edge of the road is falling away. Only time before there is a serious incident. Should be one way.
I fail to see your logic on plastic pellets filling holes and avoiding water ingress and expansion during freezing. I like your idea of waste recycling, but I think the idea is flawed. If you don’t compact a pot-hole with polymer-modified resin cement fully after withdrawing all moisture, and instead leave voids within the unstable plastic, this will create a cavern of freezable water combined with a short-lived flexible top layer unsustainable to heavy traffic loads over long periods of time.
Has this been tried and tested?
Dewsbury cannot be compared to Huddersfield. It has half the population and non-comparible Universities or attractions. It’s just not worthy of investment. Dewsbury is a dying town of yesteryear, which, sadly has no future.
If you could spell Huddersfield correctly, then I might take you seriously.
Dewsbury has about half the population as Huddersfield and is not comparable in it’s economic value to the region.
A perfect point made Chris. I’m sure a lot of the contractors are doing a bad job on purpose so that they can come back and re-do it badly again for continual cash. If they did it properly the first time, then the repair would last for years, not weeks or months. Many are on the scam, but it’s the councils fault for not vetting contractors properly, failing to ask for guarantees, and paying over the odds. It’s a lose-lose for the council, but a big gain for the cowboys.
It would be nice to think that the developers (Avant Homes) might at least contribute something, but in the real world they would not bother building the houses if they were facing a bill that took a huge chunk out of their profits. I’m sure Avant Homes don’t have the same level of profits as Morrisons. Added to that, I would presume that the council will benefit more from 226 new homes paying council tax than from 1 single store paying business rates.
yet again all the money is spent in Huddersfield–what about all the pot holed roads in Dewsbury– ie Staincliffe road and School lane must be the 2 worst roads in the county- get out of your nice warm offices councillors and top brass at Kirklees and do some driving around the area (NOT just Huddersfield) and you will feel the difference in the surface of the roads in the real world –P.S. and stop just chucking chippings on the roads and actually scrape back and re-surface for a change
I would hope that developers of these proposed new housing developments will be responsible for any improvements required in the road system around such developments. The proposed site in Fixby of 252 houses where the present roads are inadequate is an example. When the Morrison’s store was built in Heckmondwike I believe the contract include any alterations necessary to the local road system. Could this be regarded as a precedent.
Get real Peter. Not everything can be carried on a bike to work. Fancy choking on fumes when none of the traffic can move? Think about the big issue first, and then concentrate on the few people who have the luxury of being able to cycle around the town.
Great news! The Lockwood and Longroyd Bridge area has been desperately in need of complete restructuring and planning for years. It is a bottle-neck of heavy congestion and simply doesn’t work in it’s present form. I’m very pleased that this money has been awarded to this area, especially as a new housing estate at the former St. Luke’s Hospital is likely to be developed in the near future which will add another 350 vehicles onto the roads in the Lockwood area.
Please use the money wisely, and don’t let contractors rip you off without results. Make sure they are accountable!
Good news that the road system will be improved. I would also like to see some of the money invested in public transport aswell, which will help alleviating congestion. I welcome the initiatives to spend money on improving travel by foot and bicycle in the city centre, which needs reviving to ensure that for example businesses in Huddersfield can survive. This will also help with improving air quality, and if trees and green areas (for roads consider SUDS and impermeable materials) are included in the plan then that will also help. Huddersfield has such a big catchment and a good University with many international students, which is expanding and successful , and the centre should be a pleasant and attractive environment for all generations/people to visit and use.
It would be a good idea for Kirklees to adopt waste plastic pellets into filling our potholes. Any roads in Huddersfield and Dewsbury who needs pavements and roads resurfaced, would benefit from having waste or recycled plastic pellets in the tarmac. This would prevent pot holes from appearing, because the tarmac will be able to contract and expand without cracking. Yes it’s more expensive, but you get what you pay for and the roads will last 20 years longer. Quality will always win, because cheaper is dearer in the long run and there’s no benefit to that.
I hope the money on road repairs are put to good use and these repairs are carried out in a professional manner. Recently, I saw Council workers filliiing pot holes in Heckmondwike with tarmac and then running the Council wagon over the newly laid tarmac to compact it! Quite bizarre and more importantly a waste of time, effort and money! Fingers crossed for a better job this time
Please send me the vollenter form by post thanks Gary
This is NOT Kirklees together this is Huddersfield no mention of dewsbury
Stop wallowing in your own self worth and look at your whole area
Yes, I commented to my wife when it was resurfaced that it would need rectifying. How did this get signed off ?
The goverment spend the money on Londen. Kirklees spends it on Hudersfield. Whats new?.
I hope the intended roadworks have the desired outcome for the users of these roads. 8 million is not enough to fix all the problems of our large area. We all have our views and pet projects. Hopefully through sites like this the Council can be made aware of problems.
In our village of Scholes we have had roads maintenance and speed bumps installed recently.
The village has had housing development which has made the village centre a bit busier. so there is a need for drivers to be more careful and courteous when driving through but that’s a problem.
Every comment on here seems valid yet the things that most people grumble about never seem to be addressed. Its no good repairing potholes either by just throwing a shovel full of tarmac in onto the water.
It needs a neat cut out, drying, priming, filling in, tamping and caulking round the edges. However, that would mean doing the job properly!!!
Yes the majority of responsible cyclists own cars which are both taxed and insured so think before you open your mouth with comments like this please Ian Iee. They just choose to be more environmental minded than yourself.
It would be good improving the access to Huddersfield if there was something on our High Street to attract people. It is a forgotten authority with nothing but the University to attract people. Sorry but very disappointed resident.
Why not spend our money on providing more free parking places for Kirklees Councillors outside Huddersfield Station so that more of them can leave their vehicles free for two weeks whilst they are away on their well deserved holidays?
Yet again most of this money is going to be spent in Huddersfield. It may be an idea if a few councillors drove their cars around north kirklees once in awhile and see how the other half have to put up with atrocious roads and footpaths. I would like to see a breakdown of area council tax collection and area expenditures. (what’s betting that won’t happen)
Agree.
I was thinking exactly the same thing.
Two roads in Dewsbury, Staincliffe Road and Oxford Road are in desperate need of resurfacing. The potholes are constantly being filled in and now there are potholes in the potholes. Drivers have to constantly swerve round the holes and lumps in the roads. I’m beginning to wonder where my council tax goes!
I do, I just want to be more environmentally friendly and use a bike, your comment is pig ignorant!
Please develop innovative techniques to install gully grids and metal works on roads before investing this money. Gully grids and metal works start subsiding and rattling soon after roads have been rebuilt/resurfaced. Tax payers money must not be wasted through shoddy workmanship.
We have a big gaping wall that is a danger and unsightly but the man at kirklees says he cant do anything yet they are here saying they have 8million pounds. Asthonishing & gobsmacked!!!!
Looks like none is been spent on improving roads in Dewsbury/or local areas. Roads very large pot holes / man hole covers are breaking up in Thornhill Lees/ Savile town area .
It takes 60 mins to travel from Thornhill Lees to Leeds cutting. that just over a mile.
When is the road from Ravensthrope Station to Ravensthrope going to have the clay and mud removed from road and the pavement about 2 inches thick plus the very large branch that as been on pavement for 6 months.
I hope it is spent wisely and not on some hair brain scheme and on something that a lot of people will benefit from and not just a few.
Any plan to repair large pot holes in Thirstin Rd Honley.. Would be nice 😊
All roads lead to Huddersfield as usual,what about the rest of Kirklees come on councillors spread the money around and not just Huddersfield!
Bradley mills road. From stadium to Rawthorpe is in a dangerous state. With fencing falling over and road surface bad. Also the road is far too narrow for the traffic it takes. I believe that a manor incident on that road could be imminent and deaths could occure. When are going to spend money on widening and improvement there
I would like the council to think about the none main roads in the rural areas of Holmfirth and fill in all the potholes not just the ones reported. To fill only one pothole just because it is reported leaving several others sometimes bigger than the ones reported is a waste of resources. To do do a whole section would be more cost effective and save roads getting worse through the winter months. The amount of new builds in this area is leaving the roads looking like a patchwork quilt of reinstatements . The new houising in this area gives the council some of the highest council tax bands it would be good for the council to give something back
Start paying road tax and insurance like vehicle owners then you can have a listenable request
What about the little Village of Birstall ? SEVEN miles from Huddersfield. The roads all around are a disgrace . Have we to wait for another( Bike Race) to get some more tarmac down PROPERLY .Bring back the Councils Steam Roller and Tar Tanker . and Sack the Cowboys . Question How is it i never get a reply to my comments or get a Local councillors comments . Courtesy cost Nothing so you cant put that down having No Money to Spend .
Any chance of mending roads there a disgrace
Well what will they do with the money. Build a shelter for our local Homeless.
can you spend some of the money on cycle paths in the Holme Valley, especially to connect Meltham to Huddersfield
Huddersfield benefit yet again! What a waste of money spent on chppings on ring road in Dewsbury. All leaving surface showing old tarmac beneath after less than 3 months.
Hope it’s used on roads and not squandered on people that should not be in kirklees. Or teaching people to speak english