A £1.2m plan to restrict vehicular access in Huddersfield town centre has been given the go-ahead.
Senior councillors paved the way for cameras on several town centre roads that will record vehicles wrongly using the roads.
Drivers straying through the ‘bus gates’ will be issued with a £60 fine.
One formal objection was made against the plan by a town centre solicitors, while another attended yesterday’s meeting concerned that bollards would be used and they could cause damage to vehicles.
Clr David Sheard, council leader, said: “There are no physical bollards. It will be camera-based and it takes a photo of people who go through and they will get a fine.
“We did look at bollards for Cross Church Street but we found they would be incredibly expensive.
“Bus gate technology means we can have cameras monitoring with signs that restrict access.”
Kirklees wants to restrict the number of vehicles using Westgate, Kirkgate, Market Street and High Street, saying it will “help create an accessible town centre, improve the safety of pedestrians and improve the punctuality of public transport”.
Cabinet members had approved the use of Automatic Number Place Recognition (ANPR) cameras last June. But the authority had to conduct a statutory consultation.
The one objector focused on proposals for bus gates in St George’s Square, saying it will pose a danger to all traffic using Station Street and increase traffic using the road, affecting their business.
But Cabinet members stuck to their guns and backed the scheme in full.
It means buses and other authorised vehicles, which include emergency service vehicles, hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, will have access.
But all other drivers will get a fine if they stray beyond the signs outside permitted hours.
The new scheme is as follows:
Operating times of restrictions, 8am to 6pm, all days: Westgate, eastbound from Railway Street to John William Street; Kirkgate, eastbound from John William Street to Lord Street; Kirkgate, westbound from Venn Street to John William Street; Market Street (Northbound), on the approach to Westgate for controlling vehicles heading into Railway Street and St George’s Square, eastbound from Station Street to John William Street.
Operating times of restrictions, 10am to 4pm, all days: Market Street, eastbound on the approach to High Street and High Street, eastbound at the junction with Albion Street.
Kirklees is permitting vehicles that form part of funeral corteges or wedding cars to Huddersfield Parish Church.
Changes to parking spaces, waiting and loading restrictions, new loading bays, widening the footpaths and relocating some bus stops and shelters will also take place in the scheme, funded by the West Yorkshire Transport Fund.
