Plans for a Shipley Eastern Bypass cannot progress further until Bradford Council complete the feasibility study it first promised more than two years ago, Government has said.
The study, paid for by Government was expected to be submitted to the Department for Transport in November 2019, but has been dogged with repeatedly delays.
Shipley MP Philip Davies has been raising the issue of the bypass with Government ministers for many years, but the latest mention this week saw confirmation the delay was wholly down to Bradford Council.
In a Parliamentary written answer Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: “The Department is waiting for Bradford Council to submit the feasibility study for the proposed Shipley Eastern Bypass, following which it will be assessed.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “It’s disappointing that despite receiving funding to undertake a feasibility study on this important scheme more than three years ago, Bradford Council still hasn’t produced one.
“This is a project that could bring significant benefits to people in and around Shipley, and I will continue working with Philip Davies to explore its potential benefits.
“I hope that the local authority will set out their plans to create the long overdue feasibility case as soon as possible.”
The Government gave hundreds of thousands of pounds for the study and a report was due in November 2019, which was later put back until April 2020. In April last year Boris Johnson criticised the Council for failing to submit the study and at the time Bradford’s Council Labour Executive member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw said it was developing a robust assessment “the outcome of which should be known in the next month or so.”
Mr Davies said: “Despite promises last April the study was nearly ready, it has still not been submitted. The money has been provided for this study and my constituents will rightly wonder why the Council is dragging its feet and acting so slowly in getting such infrastructure investment going. It is clear by their actions the Council does not care about the Shipley constituency and I have no doubt in my mind if this were a city centre scheme it would have been submitted on time.
“The fact the Council has failed to produce its report to Government a shocking 27 months after it was initially due, beggar’s belief. Someone at the council needs to take responsibility for this and ensure this report is delivered so we can get this scheme moving for the benefit of my constituents.
“It seems to me the only thing between my constituents getting this much needed bypass is the Labour-led administration on Bradford Council.”
Government has repeatedly said it sees the benefit of a bypass and previous transport ministers have visited the area to see what a difference the scheme could make.
Mr Davies has been campaigning to get the much-needed bypass since it was first mentioned in the Airedale plan years ago.