By KLTV Newsdesk –
Local climate groups have claimed that a planned road scheme is ‘incompatible with Climate Emergency Commitments’ and plan to protest on site this weekend.
Save the Trees Kirklees and Huddersfield Friends of the Earth will call on Kirklees Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to reconsider the road widening scheme on the route.
They will be gathering on the site of the proposed A629 Halifax Road scheme on Saturday 14 August to protest.
The campaigners argue that the project will result in the felling of 126 mature trees and that expanding the road will actually increase road traffic and carbon emissions.
Additionally, protesters argue that the climate impact of the scheme is not in line with Kirklees and WYCA’s own Climate Emergency goals.
So far, over 1000 people have signed a petition to call for a moratorium on all new road schemes in Kirklees.
The planned protest will take place between 11 am – 12 noon on Saturday 14 August.
‘Induced Traffic’
Chayley Collis from Huddersfield Friends of the Earth, said: “The summer of 2021 has shown an alarming level of extreme weather events – from extreme temperatures, wildfires, flooding and drought – making it abundantly clear that we are in a climate emergency.
“Kirklees and WYCA have both made climate commitments and we do not see how this scheme can possibly be seen to align with those.
“It is well documented that if you build more roads, you will get more traffic, a phenomenon known as ‘induced traffic’, something WYCA has itself acknowledged.”
Last year Kirklees Council declared a climate emergency for the borough, and set many targets for the near future, including having the borough be completely carbon neutral by 2038.
However, local climate groups do not feel the council is currently on track to meeting those goals.
Read More: How far is Kirklees on track to meet its climate goals?
‘Act Accordingly’
Sir David King from the Climate Crisis Advisory Group, recently said: ‘Actions taken in the next five years will be critical to the future of our planet’s ability to manage our civilisation’.
“We need our politicians to act accordingly.”
Sarah Newton from Save the Trees Kirklees commented: “The A629 road widening scheme will destroy 126 iconic mature trees.
“The replacement saplings being proposed will take a considerable amount of time to get established and deliver the same benefits that the trees currently do.
“We do not have that luxury of time when it comes to tackling the climate emergency.
“We would also urge the Council to extend the time for responses from the public beyond the summer holidays to allow more people to submit responses.”
Climate Impact Assessment
The campaigners are also questioning the methodology of Kirklees’ Climate Impact Assessment of the scheme which claims that: “The estimated total GHG (Green House Gas) emissions across the projected years is expected to have a carbon positive effect on the climate.”
Steve Slator from Save the Trees Kirklees commented: “The climate impact assessment report does not present the C02 impacts for additional traffic movements associated with the scheme, so it is entirely unclear how this conclusion is reached.”