Last month, Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, told Bradford’s Telegraph & Argus newspaper that he has taken “a personal interest” in Queensbury Tunnel and that “The plan and official advice was to fill it in but I have specifically prevented that from happening to work with local leaders and the Combined Authority to come up with a better solution.”
A senior manager from Highways England, the body responsible for managing the structure, has told our campaign group that whilst discussions continue over funding for a greenway through the tunnel, “any further safety works undertaken…will not be prejudicial to a future reopening”.
Clearly, these are positive developments. However it was generally assumed that they would signal the withdrawal of Highways England’s planning application for the tunnel’s abandonment. This has proven not to be the case and their contractor is on site every day despite the coronavirus lockdown.
We would therefore like to ask anyone who has not already done so to OBJECT to the planning application for Queensbury Tunnel’s abandonment. The quick and easy process can be done online via this link…
Click ‘Make a Comment’, fill in the form, say what you want to say and record your 'Stance' as ‘OBJECT’.
The Forgotten Relics website has just published a video report looking at the value of some disused railway structures in the context of the Government’s plans to decarbonise transport. It features our tunnel campaign and an interview clip with the Society's leader. There's a link to the video below.
Many thanks again for your support.