Fears over £1bn transport fund scheme bring sharp riposte

Bosses of the five councils, Kirklees, Calderdale, Bradford, Wakefield and Leeds, want to create the fund under a plan to find local solutions for the improvements as Government grants for the schemes looks set to dry up over future years.

But Coun Robert Light, the leader of the Conservative group in Kirklees, launched a broadside on Thursday against the plans, claiming that highway and transport budgets in the area were already at record low levels and saying he feared £1.5m would be taken away from Kirklees to fund transport schemes in other parts of West Yorkshire.

Cabinet member Coun Peter McBride hit back yesterday and said: “I am amazed that a former leader of the City Region, Coun Light, should be so unaware of our sub-regional priorities endorsed by the private sector, ie the Local Enterprise Partnership.

“We have been working for a year to dovetail all West Yorkshire priorities with regard to planning and transportation to create a climate for private investments which we believe will create 20,000 new jobs and result in £1bn expenditure in the region which will not be forthcoming from the coalition Government.

“If Coun Light was right that Kirklees’s contribution should be £1.5m this would be a small price for such an investment. Actually so far there is no such commitment, only speculation from the former city region leader, Coun Light.”

Kirklees Council’s chief executive, Adrian Lythgo, added: “The potential West Yorkshire Transport Fund does not yet exist. The discussions at a West Yorkshire level have focused on how investment in transport could drive economic growth and jobs which are critical to Kirklees and the City region.

“Additional investment generated would be intended to add to current resources rather than detract from existing investment.

“Reduction of centrally available funds and the ongoing uncertainty of future transport programmes does mean that the only likely way of improving our strategic transport infrastructure is with a degree of ‘self help’ and utilising a range of local funding opportunities.

“With reference to the successful model of the Greater Manchester authorities, the Association of West Yorkshire authorities has begun to explore, with partners, the possibility of a local fund to generate measurable economic growth and jobs through transport investment.

“This would be intended to fit with any future Department for Transport consultation on devolving major scheme funding post 2015. Proposals are still at an early stage but they will be quickly developed further.”