Re-opening of the former rail station at Manningham is -
Stage 2 of Connecting Airedale.
The new station would increase the benefits of a planned rail growth package for the Leeds City Region. The rolling stock and revised timetable planned to serve the new stations at Apperley Bridge and Kirkstall Forge will provide new rail opportunities for existing and new residential communities between Shipley and Leeds. A new rail station at Manningham would enable more benefit to be extracted from this investment by improving access to rail travel for those existing, and further new, communities between Shipley and Bradford.
The services to and from Bradford Forster Square currently have spare capacity and a station at Manningham will encourage increased use of this service.
The existing masterplan for Manningham identifies the need to reduce traffic congestion and encourage the use of public transport, whilst the Airedale Masterplan also recognises the need to ensure high quality public transport provision between Bradford and Shipley in particular. A new rail station at Manningham would assist in achieving these objectives, providing a new public transport option alongside further improvements to the A650 Quality Bus Corridor which is part of Stage 3 of the Connecting Airedale package.
Manningham station will reduce the pressure on short bus journeys to Frizinghall and the two Bradford stations, allowing existing local residents to walk to a local rail station; the station will fill a clear gap in rail coverage between Frizinghall and Bradford Forster Square stations. The opportunity to use rail as a quick and convenient form of public transport for short trips into both city centres will increase; for short trips of this nature, transport choices are currently limited to the use of a bus or car, both of which can be affected by congested roads.
Although there are pockets of severe deprivation in Manningham, the area around the new station has begun to see a degree of investment and change, most notably through Urban Splash’s Lister Mills development. The development potential of the area is rising, which could lead to widespread regeneration and significant investment. The new station will improve access between this area and major employment locations in the city region, linking deprived communities with jobs.
The Shipley and Canal Road Corridor, within which the new station is located, is designated as a location for large scale housing growth with the potential to deliver an additional 5,000 new homes. Without investment in further public transport, such residential growth will result in reliance on private transport and worsening of the road congestion that is already experienced in the area. Stage 1 of the Shipley-Bradford corridor improvements is designed to address some of the existing problems on the transport network in the Shipley and Saltaire area. The new station at Manningham is Stage 2 and is needed to not only improve accessibility for existing residents of Manningham, but also to deliver a fast public transport option for new residents that is available from the outset of the new development. The station would act as an attraction for investors, providing confidence so that the plans proposed in the Airedale, Manningham and Canal Road Corridor masterplans will continue to be delivered.
Stage 2 of the Connecting Airedale: Bradford – Shipley Canal Corridor Transport scheme will support the development of the corridor as a key area of regeneration housing provision and employment growth to the benefit of the District and the wider region.
