Silsden meeting to air concerns over building of school

From the T & A 18 February 2020

Silsden meeting to air concerns over building of school

Silsden residents are being given a direct line to organisations involved in building the town’s new primary school.

Contractors, education officers and highways engineers will host a public meeting to discuss the project on Wednesday February 26.

Local councillors are urging townspeople to go along to air their concerns and find out how construction work will directly affect the streets where they live.

Cllr Rebecca Whitaker, who sits on both Silsden and Bradford Councils, said she was pleased the council had decided to hold the drop-in session.

She said: “Residents can raise any concerns they have regarding the proposed plans for access to the new school.

“I would encourage residents to go along and speak with officers and the developers, who will be able to answer any queries they have.”

Cllr Whitaker said residents living nearby could raise several concerns that they had already brought to her attention.

She said: “A number of residents have contacted me regarding the speed of the construction vehicles on the residential roads accessing the construction site, and questioned whether the roads are legally wide enough for access to the site.

“I have also heard from residents who are concerned about the number of speed bumps which are being proposed.

“I am not a great fan of speed bumps. I have concerns about the additional noise and air pollution which will be created as drivers have to stop start to negotiate their way over and around the bumps in this built-up residential area.

“In icy conditions these roads will potentially become lethal for those travelling over the speed bumps, and for residents cars parked near to them”.

Cllr Whitaker said highways officers had told her that traffic calming had to be included within any plan for 20mph zones.

She added: “I will be contacting Highways again to see if there can be a reduction in the amount of speed bumps proposed, and ask if alternative traffic calming measures can be included instead.”

Cllr Adrian Naylor, who also sits on both Silsden and Bradford Councils, said it would be very useful for residents to attend the meeting.

He said that apart from a few people living near the site who had experienced water run-off in recent weeks, most residents were concerned about how local roads would be affected.

He added: “This is the first opportunity for the public to talk to highways officers. It’s a chance for members of the public to ask questions that are relevant to them and get answers.

“The council and the contractors will explain what is going to happen and how it’s going to affect people living in and around the area of the new school.

“Officers can explain exactly what is proposed, and people can give heir views to the people that are most involved in the project.”

The Contractor

GallifordTry, the contractors building the school, moved on to the site off Hawber Cote Lane in January and wrote to nearby residents outlining their immediate plans.

The company, which employs 3,500 staff across the UK, said it hoped residents would face as little disruption as possible before the project was completed in summer 2021.

The new school campus on the outskirts of Silsden will replace two cramped school buildings in the town centre, and will cater for up to 640 pupils.

The meeting on Wednesday February 26 will be in the main hall of the existing Silsden Primary School (Hothfield site) from 5pm to 6.30pm.

There will be representatives from Silsden Primary School, GallifordTry, and the council’s Education Client Services and Highways departments.