A BYPASS for Brighouse and an extra junction on the M62 could be in the pipeline.
The revelation was made at a Calderdale Council meeting as part of major regeneration plans in the borough.
Clr Barry Collins announced that as part of the West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan, they were investigating the idea of a Brighouse bypass around the town.
No further details were given as to where it would go and there is no mention of it in the WYLTP, but Brighouse has been listed as a priority town as part of the Leeds City Region Spatial.
And the Cabinet member also revealed there could be an extra junction of the M62 between Rastrick and Bradley.
But that has come as news to his Kirklees counterparts, who believe the plans relate to the Cooper Bridge and Brighouse junction of the M62.
Clr Barry Collins, Calderdale’s Member for the Economy and Environment, said: “There could potentially be huge traffic developments in the Brighouse area as part of the West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan and I’m not revealing any secrets by saying that we are looking at the possibility of a bypass around Brighouse town centre, huge potential improvements to the A629 coming from Ainley Top past Elland and another.. which is only a proposal but an extra M62 motorway junction between the Rastrick and Bradley area.
“They are only proposals so far, I’m not promising that any of it will happen, but we are thinking about the future of Brighouse.”
Clr Collins’ comments came as a surprise to his fellow councillors and those in Kirklees.
Rastrick’s Clr Chris Pillai said at the Full Council meeting: “We need to know more about this, I don’t want Rastrick being a rat run between the motorway and Brighouse.”
Kirklees Council Leader, Clr Mehboob Khan, said it was the first he’d heard of an extra junction, but that there were discussions to improve access at nearby Cooper Bridge.
“I didn’t know anything about the Brighouse bypass or the extra junction, but what I do know is that the land at Cooper Bridge, which is defined in the Local Development Core Strategy for future employment, considers junction upgrading in order to tackle congestion and improve access for up to 42 hectares of employment land.
“There is a huge likelihood of future infrastructure improvements at junction 25 and I think he means that one, which will still benefit Brighouse.
“We’d also like improvements at Ainley Top as well, but the plan at the moment is for Cooper Bridge.”
Kirklees’s Clr Ken Smith, a ward member for Ashbrow, which covers the area affected by the proposed junction, said: “I’ve heard nothing about it, not even a hint. There are already two junctions at Brighouse and Ainley Top with not a lot of distance between them.
“To be honest I’m amazed by the suggestion. It would need government money, many millions of pounds, and at the moment I can’t see that happening.”
Clr Smith did say that a relief road between Cooper Bridge and Brighouse was desperately needed.
Clr Collins emphasised that it was only an idea being explored, but it’s thought money from the Leeds City Region transport fund would be used for the Brighouse bypass proposal.
