Roadworks projects scheduled to start in February (From Ilkley Gazette)

Roadworks projects scheduled to start in February

11:30am Wednesday 31st December 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Ilkley can look forward to more upheaval on its busiest roads as city highways bosses gear up for another round of roadworks in 2009.

Bradford Council has unveiled plans for extensive resurfacing work on Leeds Road, Church Street, Cowpasture Road, Springs Lane and other roads from February.

But, unlike the major A65 gas and water roadworks that saw diversions through central shopping streets at the peak pre-Christmas retail period, it is hoped the resurfacing work will not hit trade too hard in the town centre.

And there is also hope that the resurfacing of the A65 will not last as long as the Yorkshire Water works in autumn 2006 or Northern Gas Networks mains replacement work in September 2008.

The roads due for resurfacing work are: l Ben Rhydding Road at its junction with Cowpasture Road l Church Street (A65), between Alexandra Crescent and Brook Street l Cowpasture Road, between Crossbeck Road and Wheatley Road l Leeds Road (A65), from Brook Street to Wellington Road l Parish Ghyll Road, from Albany Walk to The Grove l Springs Lane, from Station Road to the Springs Medical Centre l Wheatley Road, at the junction with Cowpasture Road Bradford Council has pledged that resurfacing work on all seven lengths of road will not be done at once – despite all of them being listed as beginning on Monday, February 9, in the council’s latest notice of substantial road works.

A spokesman for Bradford Council said precise details of the resurfacing schemes, including the start dates and timescale for each road, are not yet available.

The council has not revealed if there will be diversions on the A65 during the work.

Bradford Council indicated last year that it intended to carry out resurfacing work on the A65 when the gas mains replacement work had been completed. The council agreed to hold the work back until after the Christmas trading season to avoid traffic disruptions hitting Christmas trade at shops in the town centre.

Ilkley Parish Council chairman, Councillor Kate Brown, said Bradford had not consulted the parish council on the work, but was hopeful that the resurfacing would not be too serious a blow for traders already contending with the difficult economic conditions.

Coun Brown said: “Some of the roads desperately need to be done. I think it’s better early in the year as it shouldn’t disrupt the Christmas trade and hopefully it won’t have any ill-effect on the tourism.”

There was dismay when North Gas Networks’ gas mains replacement work under Leeds Road, scheduled to begin early in 2008, was put back later and later in the year, until it was eventually done in autumn. Bradford Council was keen to avoid causing road problems and delays around the time when Ilkley Grammar School students were sitting GCSE and A level examinations.

Work also avoided the busy schedule of the Ilkley Summer Festival in August, when The Grove, part of the proposed diversion route, was closed to traffic each weekend for open-air concerts and events including the continental street market.

Many town-centre retailers rely on pre-Christmas trade in autumn, and claimed the Yorkshire Water works in 2006 – and the accompanying diversion and traffic jams – drove potential customers away from the town.

However, the gas work in September 2008, which was scheduled to take around eight weeks to complete, was over before the end of the month.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)