Latest news with #TracyBrabin


The Guardian
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Investing in destruction': campaigners attack plans to fill Yorkshire tunnel with concrete
Campaigners hoping to convert a disused railway line into England's longest cycle and pedestrian tunnel are challenging a government decision to fill much of the historic structure with concrete. Earlier this month ministers decided to award several million pounds to permanently shutter the Queensbury tunnel built in the 1870s for a railway between Halifax and Keighley in West Yorkshire, despite spending £7.2m to shore up the structure less than four years ago. The government has agreed to fund plans to infill the tunnel for safety reasons, by the roads agency, National Highways, (NH) which is responsible for maintaining the historic railway estate. The decision comes after the agency was widely criticised for 'cultural vandalism' over the infilling of Victorian bridges on the railway estate. In 2023 it was forced to reverse burying in concrete a Victorian bridge in Great Musgrave, Cumbria on the route of a scheme to join two heritage railway lines. The mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, who backed calls to reopen the 1.4 mile tunnel which was closed to railway in 1956, has expressed disappointment at the government's decision. In 2021, while standing at the entrance of the tunnel, she described plans for a subterrain cycle path linking Bradford and Keighley to Halifax as a 'great facility for our community.' Campaigners accused the government of 'investing in destruction' and ignoring the views of 8,000 planning objections to the plan to infill the tunnel. They are due to meet Lilian Greenwood, the minister for the future of roads, next week to urge her to reverse the decision. In a letter to campaigners, Greenwood said converting the tunnel for cycling would be too costly in 'the challenging fiscal environment' and that 'safety risks need to be addressed.' Today we welcomed West Yorkshire mayoral candidate @TracyBrabin and Bradford South MP @JudithCummins to the tunnel to discuss the benefits of a #BradfordHalifaxGreenway with a tourist spur to Haworth/ we're serious about #ActiveTravel, we have to make this happen. NH's contractors estimate it would cost £26.4m to convert the tunnel. But campaigners have dismissed this figure as 'gold-plated' and claim the tunnel could be brought back into use as a greenway for only £13.7m – not much more than the £7.2m spent to shore it up from 2018 to 2021 including at least £3.3m now required to infill the structure. They also point to a study by the charity Sustrans published earlier this year which found the proposed route would generate £3 in social, economic and tourism benefits for every £1 spent on it. Norah McWilliam, the leader of the Queensbury Tunnel Society, said: 'The government is making and investment in destruction to satisfy the needs of a roads body that only cares about its own narrow interests. Community aspirations to bring positive benefits from our fabulous historic asset mean nothing to these spreadsheet shufflers.' She added: 'These new millions and the seven lost in a black hole four years ago could have paid for the tunnel's repair, safeguarding it for a role at the heart of an inspiring and sustainable active travel network - something Bradford and West Yorkshire could be proud of.' Graeme Bickerdike, the engineering coordinator for the society, said: 'The minister claims that her decision is based on a 'full view of the facts', but the evidence seems to have come exclusively from National Highways which has a proven track record for exaggerating risk, misrepresenting condition evidence and frittering away public funds. 'There is no justification for another costly tunnel intervention at this time as the 2018-21 works have reduced what was already a low risk profile.' Brabin said she shared the disappointment of campaigners, but said she understood the government's decision. She said: 'To ensure everyone's safety the government had to act quickly to secure the site, and the realities of public finances meant a difficult decision needed to be made. 'We remain committed to helping support alternative routes for walking, wheeling and cycling between Bradford and Calderdale.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Recruitment opens for police custody scrutinisers in West Yorkshire
Members of the public are being invited to help protect the rights and welfare of people in police custody in West Yorkshire. The scheme, operated locally by Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, sees volunteer Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) make unannounced visits to custody suites to check on the dignity of detainees. ICVs are independent of the police service. Alison Lowe OBE, deputy mayor for policing and crime, said: "Independent custody visitors play a crucial role in checking that people in police cells are being looked after safely, with the right care and support. "It is important that independent safeguards are in place for those who are detained, and that they can expect a consistently high standard. "If you want to make a difference and become part of our incredible team, please get in touch." ICVs observe and report on the conditions of custody suites and check that detainees are being properly looked after. They also ensure detainees understand their rights and entitlements. Long-term volunteer Val said: "Being an ICV gives me an incredible sense of purpose." The scheme covers Wakefield, Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, and Calderdale. Recruitment is open until Sunday, September 28, 2025. For more information, visit


BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Bradford Council has 'nothing to hide' over grooming review
A council has said it has "nothing to hide" and will fully cooperate with a national review into grooming of Bradford Council met on Tuesday for the first time since Baroness Casey published her report and called for a full national inquiry into child sexual exploitation (CSE) in England and Rebecca Poulsen said there had been calls for a national inquiry for years – including by Keighley MP Robbie Moore - but the council and West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin previously said it was not Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said the authority would now work with the review and hand over un-redacted documents. She said: "Child sexual exploitation is a terrible crime and has a long lasting impact on its victims."Anyone who has spoken to victims know how appalling and brutal the perpetrators are."The victims should have been protected and loved, not tortured in this way."She said it was clear victims had been let down because this was the finding of numerous reviews on this issue that had been published by the council. "These reviews made for stomach churning reading," she went on to tell members the way the council and police dealt with CSE was now vastly different from a few years Brendan Stubbs shared concerns about the council redacting information that could "hinder the national review".He asked: "Can you assure us that Bradford Council will only redact what is totally necessary and not hinder victims from getting the justice they deserve?" Ms Hinchcliffe responded that she had "sent all reports we've done unredacted to the Home Secretary, so we've got nothing to hide here".Meanwhile, Ms Poulsen said the council's co-operation into the review was "about time"."We welcome your U-turn, but you have broken your trust with the victims I have spoken to," she leader councillor Imran Khan said there was "no more abhorrent crime that we will ever talk about in this Council chamber"."Every community finds this crime abhorrent," he added. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.


BBC News
09-07-2025
- BBC News
Views sought on £27m Huddersfield bus station revamp
People are being asked to have their say on plans for a £27m revamp of Huddersfield bus station. The proposals include adding a new entrance canopy and a "living roof" covered in plants, West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and Kirklees Council said. Plans also include new cycle parking, better disabled toilet facilities, improvements to the public space around the bus station and energy-saving features, such as solar of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said the investment was "vital" to encourage more people to use public transport. "We want to deliver state-of-the-art facilities that link people seamlessly with active travel routes, buses, trains and trams," she added."Please have your say on these proposals to help us build a better-connected West Yorkshire that works for all." Moses Crook, Deputy Leader of Kirklees Council and Cabinet Member for Housing and Transport said: "The investment in our transport network and facilities across Kirklees is vital in supporting the council's wider regeneration schemes across our town centres."The proposals for Huddersfield bus station are focussed on making travelling by public transport an attractive and accessible option for more people and will provide better access to jobs, education, and healthcare as well as connecting communities, family and friends across West Yorkshire."A series of drop-in sessions are due to be held in Huddersfield and there will also be an online webinar for people to take part consultation runs until 17 August. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.


BBC News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Message the Mayor: Tracy Brabin welcomes Leeds maternity review
The mayor of West Yorkshire says the experiences of some women under the care of maternity services at Leeds hospitals has been "tragic".Labour's Tracy Brabin has been answering questions on Message the Mayor on BBC Radio Leeds with presenter Rima has also been talking about "mis-steps" in the government's handling of its welfare bill, the national grooming gang inquiry and mass transit for the our takeaways from the show below or listen to the full interview here. Rapid maternity review means lessons can be learned "It's utterly tragic, and for those families, catastrophic. I can only say how sorry I am for all of those families that have gone through this."The mayor is welcoming a "rapid" investigation into maternity care, which will include NHS hospitals in Care Quality Commission has rated maternity care at Leeds NHS hospitals as "inadequate". The NHS trust says it is committed to making improvements. Too many people are harmed on the roads "We have seen young people who have just passed their test, really excited that they've got a car, they go on a weekend away and fill the car full of their friends - and then, because of inexperience... there's a terrible tragedy."Brabin wants the government to bring in restrictions for new drivers. She says in Canada, graduated driving licences have reduced deaths among 16 to 18-year-olds by 83%. Changes need to be made to benefits "My job as the mayor is to ensure that everybody who wants to work, can work."The mayor welcomes changes to the government's welfare bill, and acknowledges there have been "mis-steps" in the way it's been hopes the amendments will reassure people in West Yorkshire who have been nervous about losing their Personal Independence Payments. We are going to listen to survivors "[Victims] do not want to be looking in the rear view mirror permanently - they want action now, today, to put those perpetrators behind bars."The mayor says she's been talking to grooming victims, after the government announced a new inquiry into has previously rejected calls for an inquiry, saying police resources should be focused on getting justice for victims. Tram cash is a Spending Review highlight "It's my mission to have that integrated transport plan across West Yorkshire, so that people can hop on a bus, get on a tram, get on the rail, and have that ability to move around our region."West Yorkshire's tram plan has received £2.1bn from the government. The mayor says it was one of the "highlights" of last month's Spending Review, and that she is also investing in cycle routes and bus lanes.