Pontefract Civic Society's proposals for the road from the "bleak" station to Ferrybridge Road – cutting through a planned Rippon Homes housing development – aim to revamp rail facilities and improve public transport.

Rippon Homes is negotiating a sale of land needed for the road with Wakefield Council, after planners approved the developer's reserved matters application for 61 dwellings last week.

Society chairman Peter Cookson said: "The road is not dead and we will carry on pressing the council to draw up a proper scheme.

"At the moment the link road is just a dream but when plans are created it will have some standing behind it.

"We've only got the power of argument to show this scheme in Pontefract is just as important as Castleford's interchange or Wakefield's Hepworth gallery.

"It's so obvious that this is desperately needed, a schoolboy could work it out."

Councillors supported the link road plans at last week's planning meeting, which agreed access, siting and design matters without the scheme.

Campaigners also hope the proposed link road will cut crime levels at Monkhill station, which is unstaffed and a mile away from the town centre.

Pontefract North councillor Philip Thomas said: "We must finalise these road plans and push forward with them.

"We have a chance to help Pontefract work better as a town socially, environmentally and economically, but only if we continue to keep this road proposal as a priority."

A Rippon Homes spokeswoman said: "We can confirm we are currently in negotiations with Council over a parcel of land on Ferrybridge Road, Pontefract."