A pothole-ridden road on a cliff-edge behind the John Smith’s Stadium is to undergo a major reconstruction.

Bradley Mills Road, which runs up the back of the stadium past the former Dalton Grange wedding venue to Dalton, has seen severe damage due to the weather.

The road surface has cracks and potholes and there has been a weathering of the cliff-edge. In places on the narrow and winding road cars travelling in opposite directions have to slow down to a crawl to get past.

After years of campaigning by local people, Kirklees Council’s Cabinet has agreed to carry out major reconstruction work.

The scheme is one of two big projects allocated funding in the 2023-24 Highways Capital Plan. The other is reconstruction work on the A6024 Woodhead Road at Holme Moss which was subject to a landslip in 2021.

In total the council has allocated £24.4 million for highways works in 2023-24 and £19.7 million in 2024-25.

Of that Bradley Mills Road and Woodhead Road will see £2 million in 2023-24 and a further £3 million in the following financial year.

The council’s Cabinet member for highways, Clr Naheed Mather, who is also a Dalton ward councillor, said she was delighted that the work on Bradley Mills Road would go ahead.

“Since I became a councillor in 2012 this has been on the agenda and we have finally managed to secure the money,” she said.

“There’s a sharp cliff-edge where weathering has occurred and whatever we have tried to do has not been enough.

“We recognise that road safety is important here and we need to maintain this central link down to the stadium and beyond.”

Clr Mather said detailed design work would have to be carried out on what will be a major scheme. It wasn’t possible at this stage to say exactly how much it would cost but she hoped work could start in January 2024.

“We cannot ignore the fact it is getting worse and worse and we will have to strengthen the road from below, near where Dalton Grange is,” she said.

“At long last we are able to make sure we future-proof this important road and hopefully make good all the horrors. It’s been a thorn in our side since 2012.”

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