Please help save our vision for a new greenway, suitable for all ages and abilities, connecting communities between Bradford, Keighley and Halifax in West Yorkshire. It is under threat because National Highways has managed to hoodwink the Labour government into agreeing to block up Queensbury Tunnel, a 1.4 mile long Victorian railway tunnel, thereby destroying all possible hope of keeping it open for our greenway vision.

In 2020, Grant Shapps, then Transport Secretary, stopped National Highways (who look after it) from infilling parts of the tunnel and instead ordered it to be retained for future transport use. Over £7m was spent making it safe for that purpose. Now that money looks set to be wasted along with millions more to make it unusable. It is absolute madness to be wasting taxpayers’ money to achieve no public benefit, when we know that a new greenway using the tunnel could bring much needed wealth into the local economy, far more than it would cost to build. It would also help to improve health outcomes locally.

The Queensbury Tunnel Society has been campaigning to protect the tunnel and for the creation of this greenway for over a decade now. We have strong political backing from local MPs, the Mayor and Bradford Council, but we now need them to mobilise (please also see our MP letter writing campaign).

However, we need your help to write to your MP to ask them to demand that the Labour government reviews this damaging decision, to stop Labour being the ‘blockers’ to our greenway vision. Just put your name, address and email in the ‘Take Action’ panel, then click the ‘Start Writing’ button to send a letter to your MP (this is automatically worked out from your postcode). You can edit the suggested text to say whatever you feel is appropriate. When you’re ready, hit ‘Send Letter’. The whole process can take less a minute.

Many thanks,

Norah,

Leader, Queensbury Tunnel Society