Pudsey: Council approves final layout of £554,000 walking and cycling improvements

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A £554,400 scheme to make walking and cycling links between Pudsey Town Centre and New Pudsey Station more accessible and desirable have been rubberstamped by council chiefs.

Work will include new signage, footpath resurfacing and widening in places, a new advisory cycle route, Stanningley Bypass underpass improvements leading to the Owlcotes Centre, enhanced crossing points and improved cycling links to the railway station.

The scheme will also provide informal pedestrian crossing facilities on raised traffic calming features to help crossing main roads, and will fund feasibility and design work for possible future improvements on Richardshaw Lane where it meets the A647 Ring Road slip roads.

new pudsey station
New Pudsey Station. Photo: Ian Kirk, used under Creative Commons licence

The plans were approved in principle by the council’s decision-making executive board last year, but a council report this week gave the go-ahead for the detailed design and delivery of the works on site. The report says:

“The proposals detailed in this report are aimed at providing more inviting, accessible, safe and direct walking and cycling routes from Pudsey Town Centre and Pudsey bus station to New Pudsey Rail Station through the residential areas of Pudsey and the Owlcotes centre.

“They also offer enhanced routes and links to community facilities and the wider key public transport routes as well as the strategic City Connect cycle corridor between Bradford and Leeds, on Bradford Road.”

Work was originally due to start last summer, for completion by summer 2021, but work was delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Also initially approved last year was a Bramley scheme to improve the interchange area, which will cost about £440,000 when work starts later this year.

It aims to increase public transport usage. The proposed upgrades include an improved waiting environment and better travel information. Stand D will be relocated to a new road to be built through the grass island off Town Street, with two crossings will be added to create safe passage to the new bus stop.

Funding comes from Leeds City Council’s Connecting Leeds scheme.

Public consultations over the proposals were carried out in both Bramley and Pudsey in 2019, and included a public meeting in Bramley and drop-in sessions in Pudsey.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Once again money being spent on the select few(who don’t want to pay parking fees but still want to commute by train). This money should be diverted to saving Pudsey park(a lifeline for local residents and the young and old to exercise and socialize whilst bringing in outsiders who inject valuable revenue into Pudsey).

  2. This is a great step forward but more needs to be done in West Pudsey. Traffic in and around Pudsey is terrible and we need to encourage public transport travel.

    Paving and widening the path off Owlcotes Road (next to Hillfoot) or through the new estate Galloway Grove) woudl be great. It would however require a new bridge across the bypass.

    It could also link to Highfield Road to add a more direct route to the station.

  3. Access to the Owlcotes centre has always been problematic. ONLY one way in and out. This causes the roundabout to be clogged with traffic at busy times. Another entrance to alleviate the roundabout congestion would be better value of available funds. I have not seen any great influx of bike riders.

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