Protest over plans to cut down trees for bus lane

About 50 people from the "Say 'No' to Bus Lane" group protested in Oakenshaw

Protesters have gathered in a village on the outskirts of Bradford to demonstrate against plans to cut down trees to make way for a bus lane.

Plans to introduce a bus lane from Oakenshaw to Chain Bar roundabout in Cleckheaton were approved by Kirklees Council in June, despite strong local opposition.

About 50 people lined Bradford Road in Oakenshaw with placards, voicing concerns about the safety of residents and the damage losing the trees would do to the environment.

The council said creating the bus lane was part of a wider plan to reduce congestion in the area, and it would mitigate the loss of trees by planting more.

The protest was organised by the "Say 'No' to Bus Lane" group, who said they were not consulted over the plans.

Charlie Brown from the group said: "People don't want this bus lane to go ahead, but it's not just about not having a bus lane on your doorstep, it's about saving the ecology of the area."

Charlie Brown said the bus lane was no longer required as congestion had eased

He said: "It's going to have a severe impact on the ecology, and on the wildlife and the birds that use this route.

"Why is this bus lane going ahead? It has failed the road safety audit, and it is no longer required as there are no longer any queues."

Moses Crook, deputy leader of Kirklees Council, said: "We are committed to mitigating any loss of trees through a range of measures, including a new hedgerow, new planting along the site plus additional tree planting across Cleckheaton - and further afield through the council's broader tree planting programmes.

"Ecological surveys have also been completed to ensure full compliance with all legal protections for wildlife, and with our commitment to biodiversity.

"Our surveys also show that some of the existing trees had been affected by ash dieback and were generally not of a high quality."

Crook added the bus lane would be funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's (WYCA) Transforming Cities Fund, to enhance future bus travel, improve journey times and reduce congestion in the area.

The bus lane is part of the A638 Dewsbury-Cleckheaton Sustainable Travel Corridor scheme, a partnership between the council, WYCA and sustainable transport charity the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust - formerly Sustrans.

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