Revamp cash for Normanton Station and Newton Bar roundabout in Wakefield signed off

A revamp of the Newton Bar roundabout, to the north of the Wakefield city centre, was given planning permission at the end of last year and has now been backed with just over £9million.

An expansion of the car park at Normanton Rail Station, meanwhile, has been given just under £2m worth of funding.

The money was signed off by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), which holds the pursestrings on transport schemes in the region, on Thursday.

The coronavirus pandemic has however, put the timescales of both projects in doubt.

The Newton Bar roundabout scheme, which will create new lanes for motorists and cyclists as well as traffic lights and crossings, was meant to start early this summer and finish in 2021.

That is now thought to be very unlikely.

There is similarly no certainty when the expansion of Normanton Station's car park will begin.

But under the plans, an extra 52 car parking spaces will be provided, including seven disabled blue badge bays and space for two electric vehicle charging points.

New CCTV cameras will also be installed.

The funding was agreed by WYCA on Thursday as they held their first remote meeting since the pandemic started. For the public's benefit it was streamed live on YouTube.

WYCA chair, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, said: "It's very important with these capital projects we continue the work of approving them and carrying them on.

"When we come out of this that economic activity will be what we're relying on to boost jobs around the region.

"So I'm personally very keen to get on with any capital projects that we can."

Local Democracy Reporting Service