Plans to remove lit-up bollards on rural footpath unsafe says councillor

Plans to plunge a public footpath into darkness by removing illuminated bollards have led to safety concerns.

The path, which runs along Stretchgate between Shelley and Shepley, is lit up by about 40 bollards and is widely used, especially by students.

The council said the lights had been targeted by vandals over the years and it planned to remove them as repair costs were "not sustainable".

Councillor John Taylor said the plans were "just plain wrong".

He said: "The reason they're there is because that is an active travel route from Shelley up to the station.

"Before this work was done, in winter it was pitch black and I was really concerned for people's safety, especially for women and girls."

Mr Taylor called for a community safety review was carried out, adding: "It'll cost the council more money to rip out the lit bollards than they would ever incur in repair costs."

The authority said it had spent nearly £4,800 on repairing the bollards over the past three years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It added: "This level of expenditure is no longer sustainable if the service is to meet its budget saving targets for [2024/25].

"Therefore, we are proposing to remove the lit bollards, to remove the financial pressure and injury risk."

David Shepherd, strategic director for growth and regeneration at Kirklees Council, said: "The council is disappointed that the lighting on Stretchgate is a constant target for vandals.

"Funding the removal isn't the outcome we'd hoped for but the cost of the vandalism continues to escalate year on year and, unfortunately, the level of investment required to maintain the lighting is no longer sustainable."

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