HUDDERSFIELD could be given its own bishop by the Church of England.

A new proposal to create separate diocese in West Yorkshire is being discussed by church leaders.

A draft plan proposes to dissolve the three existing dioceses of Bradford, Wakefield and Ripon and Leeds to create a single large Diocese of Wakefield.

It would have five new Episcopal areas of Wakefield, Bradford, Leeds, Ripon and Huddersfield each with their own area bishops and councils.

The Synod, or parliament, of the Wakefield Diocese, has now agreed in principle to the proposal to create one large diocese with four new area bishops. Members voted against the plan that the new Diocesan bishop be the Bishop of Wakefield and against it being centred in the city.

The Synod, held in All Saints Church, Halifax, was voting on the recommendations in the draft scheme for the future of the Yorkshire Dioceses published by the Church of England’s Dioceses Commission at the end of last year.

The Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Rev Stephen Platten, said while he supported closer working across the three dioceses, he was unhappy with the notion of “one super diocese” over concerns about split loyalties and unity.

And while he supported the notion of a bishop in the Kirklees and Calderdale area and thought this should have been done earlier, he also agreed there was insufficient theological analysis in the report on the nature of Episcopacy.

The comments now go back to the Dioceses Commission who are expected to come back with further proposals in October.