Car park work could start within weeks

West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) was expected to iron out the last hurdle to starting work, altering contracts to represent the recent change of rail operator from Northern to the Department for Transport.

WYCA, which is leading the project, voted funding for the scheme last autumn and had originally planned to start the 12-month construction phase in spring this year.

News of revised start date was this week welcomed by Bradford and Silsden councillor Adrian Naylor, who urged WYCA to ensure there were no more delays.

He told the Keighley News that last week he was informed senior WYCA officials would meet on Friday to rubber-stamp the change in contract.

He said: “I was told the anticipated start date was six to eight weeks. It can’t happen soon enough because Steeton is an area with an immense parking problem.”

The new car park complex will provide 250 free spaces for rail passengers on three floors, on the site of an existing car park that provides only 150 spaces.

The car park fills up quickly on weekday mornings, forcing dozens of other commuters to use nearby residential streets to park their vehicles.

WYCA and Bradford Council last October approved funding for the expansion, and in March notices were posted at the car park saying the present car park would within two weeks so that work could start.

Then the Government sacked Northern as rail franchisee, and because Northern had responsibility for the station a new legal agreement had to be worked out with the Department for Transport.

Cllr Naylor said that although paperwork had to be rewritten, WYCA should have started construction during the Covid-19 lockdown when hardly anyone was using trains or needed to park near the station.

He added “This was a missed opportunity. Construction should have started six months ago. This money was voted through in October last year and a price agreed with contractors.

“Now WYCA are going to carry out construction when people are going back to work. The station car park needs to go ahead quickly, while there is less disruption because some people are not travelling by train.”

WYCA said it was not able to comment on the issue at the moment, but hoped to announce a date soon.