Leeds trolleybus plans met by long queue of objectors

A 42-day window for members of the public to make representations to the DfT about the £250m project expired at the end of last month.

Yesterday it was confirmed that 920 objections had been formally registered by November 1.

Officials at the DfT have also estimated that there are another 800 to 1,000 representations still to be processed.

It is not yet clear what proportion of the outstanding submissions will count as objections to the New Generation Transport (NGT) scheme, which is being promoted by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire passenger transport authority Metro.

NGT project director Dave Haskins said the number of objections was “about what we expected”.

He added: “[They are] in line with other transport schemes such as the hugely-successful Cambridge guided busway, which received over 2,700 objections and within a year of construction had achieved 43 per cent above its forecast passengers.”

The 42-day comments window was opened after Leeds applied for the Transport Works Act Order (TWAO) that would give it permission to build the trolleybus system.

Feedback received will be taken into account as the Government considers whether a public inquiry is needed before a final decision can be made on the award of the TWAO.

“We have already been able to refine the scheme’s designs to address people’s concerns through a widespread consultation process and over the coming months we will be working through all the points that have been raised through the TWAO process and considering the adjustments that can be made in response,” said Mr Haskins.

As reported in Saturday’s Yorkshire Post, the Federation of Small Businesses in West Yorkshire is calling for Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to press ahead with a public inquiry.

Its members fear shops and firms along the proposed trolleybus route could suffer a loss of trade during the construction process.

Critics have also claimed the scheme – which would be powered electrically using overhead wires – offers poor value for money.

Supporters, however, say NGT will ease congestion in traffic-choked Leeds, attracting more businesses to the city and helping to create 4,000 new jobs.

The scheme’s promoters acknowledge that a public inquiry is “almost certain to happen” next spring.

If Leeds succeeds with its TWAO application, it is hoped that building work on the nine-mile north-to-south system will start in 2017 or 2018.