Relief road was going to nowhere!

8:10am Thursday 23rd October 2008

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The inclusion in a council document of a diagram showing the layout of a possible Keighley eastern relief road through Park Wood was a mistake, it has been revealed.

The drawing — which was reproduced in the Keighley News in January — sparked fears that the historic woodland area was under threat.

Petitions were started and meetings called to oppose the route. But leading campaigner, Keighley town councillor Judith Brooksbank, has now discovered the truth.

A report drawn up by the council’s strategic director of regeneration, which was presented to Bradford’s executive meeting last week, states: “A proposal for Keighley eastern relief road was erroneously included in the report to executive on February 5, 2008, which diagrammatically illustrated a possible route based on the previously considered and subsequently abandoned Keighley eastern by-pass through Park Wood.

“This inadvertent mistake has raised concerns among local members and residents that the Keighley eastern by-pass route remains a scheme which the council continues to wish to pursue”.

Cllr Brooksbank, who represents Long Lee and Parkwood ward on the town council, said she was relieved that the use of the diagram had been a mistake.

“It’s good news,” she added. She said many people were genuinely concerned the wood was at risk.