A WAR of words has broken out over plans to spend millions of pounds on regional transport projects.
Clr Robert Light, leader of the Tories on Kirklees Council, has accused the local authority of pledging £1.5m for a regional fund to improve roads across West Yorkshire.
“The secret plan is intended to create a £1bn cash pot with £1.5m coming from Kirklees,’’ claimed Clr Light.
Mr Adrian Lythgo, chief executive of Kirklees Council insisted: “No money has been committed.”
Clr Light said: “With highway and transport budgets in Kirklees at record low levels after Labour and the Liberal Democrats slashed spending on our roads in the last three years, there are now fears that this will result in £1.5m more being taken away from Kirklees roads to fund transport schemes in other parts of West Yorkshire.’’
He added: “This plan will see £1.5m of Kirklees Council Taxpayers’ money, which should be being spent on Kirklees roads, being spent on Leeds City Council roads.”
His claims of a “secret deal” have been dismissed by Mr Lythgo, but he admitted the local authority was in ongoing talks about boosting the regional economy by improving roads and transport links, which would involve a lot of expense.
He said: “The potential West Yorkshire Transport Fund does not yet exist.
“The discussions at a West Yorkshire level have focussed 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.
“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.”
