Councillors are to carry out a review of a Cabinet decision which gave the go-ahead for the next stage of the £75 million A62 to Cooper Bridge Corridor Improvement Scheme.
Kirklees Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel has agreed to a request by Mirfield Tory councillor Martyn Bolt to ‘call in’ the decision for an independent review.
However, the panel has only agreed to look at certain aspects of the decision.
The A62 to Cooper Bridge scheme involves re-configuring traffic flow on the A62 Leeds Road around Bradley traffic lights and building a new Cooper Bridge roundabout.
The most controversial part of the plan involves funnelling traffic one-way down Oak Road, a narrow residential street, between Leeds Road and Bradley Road.
Despite concern from the three ward councillors Harpreet Uppal, James Homewood and Amanda Pinnock, who all urged a rethink, the council’s Cabinet agreed to move to the next stage.
That involves spending £10 million to draw up a full business case to present to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which is funding the overall scheme.
The scrutiny panel has agreed to investigate the following: unanswered technical questions; the impact on traffic flow and air quality during the works; a lack of reference to modern transport design guidance; a lack of measurable outcomes; and why there was insufficient details of alternatives considered.
The review will be carried out at a meeting of the Economy and Neighbourhood Scrutiny Panel.
Despite having reservations, Clr Uppal declined to co-sign the call-in request saying: “I’m not clear personally that the decision-making principles have been breached.”
Clr Bolt, however, was supported by Clr Robert Iredale (Lib Dem, Golcar) who said he considered the call-in to be “democracy at work.”
The scrutiny panel, chaired by Clr Uppal, will meet on Tuesday November 2 (2pm). The panel has the power to send the issue back to the Cabinet with recommendations.