Committee agrees to Pontefract Park footpath scheme to enable road upgrade
Councillors have agreed to proposals to allow new footpaths to be created in Pontefract Park to enable a major road upgrade to go ahead.
The scheme involves allocating land within the park to be allocated “for highway purposes” so £12m of improvements to the A639 Park Road can be carried out later this year.
The work includes widening the road by incorporating the existing pedestrian footpath into the carriageway.
It is hoped the scheme, which also includes installing new crossing facilities and creating cycle lanes, will ease congestion and improve journey times into the town from the M62.
Wakefield Council’s licensing committee members, who act as park trustees, agreed to the proposals, which must now be put to the Charity Commission for formal approval.
A meeting heard part of Pontefract Racecourse is close to some of the land earmarked for footpaths but would not be impacted by the development.
Tim Johnson, the council’s green space and countryside manager, told a meeting on Wednesday (January 14) that the operators of the racecourse were supportive of the scheme.
Councillors were also told the project would involve the loss of a small number of trees.
A report to committee members said: “The council is currently in the detailed design stage for the A639 Park Road scheme, and the land is required.
“Rejecting this proposal would halt the progress of the scheme.
“The proposals entail diverting the existing footway which runs along the carriageway to go through the park instead.”
The document said the scheme would lead to increased footfall in the park and provide “a more attractive link” from the Aspire@ThePark leisure centre and Princess Drive housing estate.
It added: “This also means less areas for the Trust to maintain. The loss of parcels required for widening the carriageway would not significantly reduce the offer of the park as a whole.”