AN MP is demanding answer from council bosses after figures reveal just two per cent of the total highways spend in six years was spent in Shipley.
Shipley MP Philip Davies said it was clear spending in the area was not a priority for the council and said his constituents deserved to know why they were being neglected.
A Freedom of Information request from Bradford Council to Mr Davies detailed spending in each of the years from 2017 to 2022, broken down by parliamentary constituency.
It shows just over £1.72 million (two per cent) was spent in Shipley, compared with £13.1 million (13 per cent) in Bradford South, £19.2 million (19 per cent) in Bradford East, nearly £17.4 million (17 per cent) in Bradford West and just £4.1 million (four per) cent in Keighley.
Mr Davies said: “I am extremely disappointed that the Shipley constituency has received such a small proportion of highways spending but I am not surprised. Bradford Council repeatedly ploughs money into the three Labour heartlands at the expense of my constituents, who are rightly fed up with missing out on improvements and investment we need.
“The difference in spending is clear and this is by choice. A choice that Labour-led Bradford council has made.”
The data provided by the council also includes money spent on highways north and south and figures for unallocated spend, which means the money did not benefit one particular area. In total in the six years £103 million was spent. Of that total allocations to the five parliamentary constituencies accounted for 54 per cent of the spend, with a further six per cent in the north and seven per cent in the south of the district with the remaining £33.9 million (33 per cent) as unallocated spend.
Mr Davies said these figures were further evidence that his constituents would be better off forming a new separate local authority with neighbouring Keighley and taking control of its own budget. He believes this would ensure the areas received their full share of funding and a guarantee it would be used to benefit his constituents and those in Keighley.
A breakdown revealed that Shipley was allocated the lowest spend in four of the six years. In 2019 and 2022, when Shipley was not the lowest spend area, it ranked second – just above the spend in Keighley.
Mr Davies added: “It could not be any clearer that the Shipley and Keighley constituencies are not a priority for Bradford Council. Money should be allocated fairly based on population size to ensure all areas benefit, but time and time again my constituents are handed the smallest portion of the pie – in this particular instance, missing out on millions of pounds of highways spending. The only way to ensure we get what we deserve is to break away from Bradford Council and form a new authority with the Keighley constituency.”
Highways budgets can include spending on road maintenance, pavements, bridges,
