WORK could start on a £3.9 million plan to boost parking at a local railway station as soon as November, a new report has revealed.

Plans to increase parking at Steeton and Silsden Station have been in the pipeline for years, and next week the project is likely to move to the next step.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which is responsible for funding transport and infrastructure projects in the area, will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to allocate £3.879m to a scheme to build a three-storey car park on the station’s existing parking area.

It would increase the number of parking spaces at the station by 104.

And a report going to the authority’s West Yorkshire and York Investment Committee also reveals the planned timescale for the project - work is due to start in November, with a planned end date of October 2020.

Work is currently under way to “review arrangements” for parking at the station during the almost year-long construction phase.

Commuters using the station regularly find the car park full by 7.30am.

Once the car park is built, there will be a total of 247 spaces at the station. There would also be a lift to the car park’s upper floors, increased blue badge bay provision, CCTV cameras, LED lighting and electric car charging points.

A report to the committee says: “Capacity audits which have been undertaken record a 98 per cent occupancy of the car park by 9am most term-time weekdays, with an element of latent demand witnessed too.

“Delivery will encourage existing and new users to choose the train as a sustainable mode of transport for onward journeys, with the increase in parking offer improving the access and connectivity to employment and communities, supporting the reduction in congestion levels and improving air quality.”

It says the improved provision will help increase patronage at the station by September 2021, and help take more cars off the road.

When the combined authority was asked what the parking arrangements would be during construction of the car park, a spokesman said: “Because the extended car park at Steeton and Silsden Station will be a multi-storey facility, the scheme will result in a temporary reduction of parking at Steeton and Silsden during construction which is due to commence winter 2019.

“The West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Northern have commenced work on a ‘decanting strategy’ and will be meeting with local councillors and Bradford Council to develop and review alternative arrangements during the closure.”

Councillor Adrian Naylor (Ind, Craven) said had had met with representatives from the combined authority at the start of the year, and was told work would start by spring.

He added: "I understand it is going to be a free car park because they want more people onto public transport."

Another plan for the area is a pedestrian crossing over, or under, the Aire Valley trunk road. Cllr Naylor said it was important that both schemes went ahead if more people were to ditch their cars for public transport.

He said work needed to be done to make sure staff from Airedale Hospital did not see the new car park as extra parking for hospital staff.