"The tourism industry is of major importance to the economy of the Bradford district. It is worth around £300 million. The re-opening of the Great Northern railway track between Bradford and Keighley for walkers, cyclists and horse riders would no doubt be a tremendous boost for tourism in the district and can only help our bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2008. The track goes over two marvellous viaducts which are a feat of engineering and if people could walk and cycle along there, this would bring even more visitors to the area to see the very dramatic countryside skirting Bronte country."

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, Bradford Council's
Executive Member for the Environment in a statement for
this report on winning back the railways. January 2002

 

"Bradford - one landscape, many views"

contender for European Capital of Culture 2008

 

UK cycle tourism is now valued at £635 million per year*. In June 2000 Britain's National Cycle Network was launched and the first 5000 miles opened. Cycle tourism and the associated revenue spend is set to soar. The development of a further 5000 miles is proposed for the five-year period to 2005. Tourism is a vital element in Bradford's local economy. Growth in car-based tourism, however, will damage the attractiveness of town and countryside and undermine the local benefit. Growth in cycle tourism is sustainable and wholly beneficial.

"We acknowledge that cycle tourism can help local businesses. That is why we have supported the development of the National Cycle Network".

Sally Keeble MP, Transport Minister speaking
at the Velo City conference 18.09.01

 

The Department is contributing to the efforts being made through the National Cycling Forum and elsewhere to generate the conditions that will give people the confidence to cycle more. Support has been given to the National Cycling Strategy aim of increasing cycling fourfold by 2012 (based on 1996 figures). £4.5 billion is being provided to local authorities over the next three years for local transport funding, a good deal of which will be spent on sustainable transport measures, including cycling."

Department of Transport, Local Government
and the Regions Press Release 18.09.01

 

*From Cycle Tourism, a Sustrans information publication, August 1999

"Cycling is one of the few physical activities which can be undertaken by the majority of the population as part of a daily routine. There could be significant savings in health care costs if regular, life long cycling could be actively encouraged. People living in affluent countries who maintain sedentary lifestyles have been shown to be more at risk from diseases such as coronary heart disease, strokes, obesity, cancer of the colon, depression and diabetes."

DETR Traffic Advisory Leaflet 12/99 published November 1999

 

"Walking or cycling to school increases the health, fitness and alertness of pupils. It is to be encouraged and the Great Northern Railway Trail provides an excellent opportunity for increasing the number of pupils walking or cycling to school in the Thornton and Cullingworth areas. The route runs directly adjacent to Cullingworth Primary, Thornton Primary Schools and proposed additional facilities for Parkside School Cullingworth. Targets of the West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan are (i) to increase the pedestrian's share of journeys to school by 5% by 2006 and (ii) 10% of the trips by pupils of 11 years or older, in schools that implemented school travel initiatives, to be by bicycle by 2012".

David Stevens, School Travel Plan Co-ordinator
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council February 2002

 

"Our aim is to have more people walking, cycling and horseriding to improve health and to reduce adverse affects on the environment....

A cycling strategy has been developed to encourage cycling and to ensure a comprehensive approach to the promotion of cycling as a sustainable mode of transport. Key objectives are...to encourage more people to cycle more often for both utility and leisure journeys....to develop high quality cycle routes....to construct lengths of the National Cycle Network to link the 5 main centres in West Yorkshire....to protect potential cycle routes from severance by development... On walking....to promote walking for greater accessibility and for health. On horseriding....to develop safe routes which help riders to gain access to more rural areas.."

West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan 2001-2006

 

"The Council will support and encourage the retention and extension of the District's railway lines, and will ensure that disused railway lines, as identified in the Proposal Map*, are safeguarded from development to allow their use for sustainable transport purposes. This use could include rail schemes, cycle routes, pedestrian routes and bridleways".

Policy TM5 Bradford Unitary Development Plan
(Replacement Plan, first deposit June 2001)

*Including the Great Northern Railway - Queensbury to Cullingworth

 

"The National and Local Cycle Network and associated links as shown on the Proposal Map will be implemented. Developments should facilitate or incorporate the network and associated links.

Major developments will be expected to contribute towards the construction and improvement of the National and Local Cycle Network and links to it, where such facilities would service the development by sustainable modes".

Policy TM10 Bradford Unitary Development Plan
(Replacement Plan, first deposit June 2001)