Dewsbury councillor says half-a-billion funds could help 'truly transform' area

West Yorkshire Combined Authority developed the bid in partnership with district partners including Bradford, Calderdale, and Kirklees, and Wakefield councils.

It includes proposed transport improvements that will be shared to benefit residents, businesses and their employees in each of those areas and will result in communities having better access to an affordable, cleaner and attractive transport network.

Dewsbury East coun, Eric Firth said: "If successful, it will be truly transformational for all of West Yorkshire although I'm more concerned as you will understand with Kirklees and Dewsbury in particular."

Coun Firth is also Chairman of regeneration group Dewsbury Forward, which said the funds could help the town with a new bus station, on South Street, which may include a revamp of that part of Westgate.

The funds are set to provide two new bus park and rides, six new and improved bus stations, 800 new cycle parking spaces, six key priority bus routes, improvements to seven rail stations and one new station and new, high-quality cycle routes along six corridors.

The projects would help create more than 1,100 new jobs, and add £1 billion to the local economy.

It will mean reduce up to 15,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from transport by 2036, which will help the region become carbon neutral and tackle the climate emergency.

Better connectivity resulting from a successful bid will also support the building of 45,000 new homes at 650 sites and the development of almost 1,600 hectares of employment premises at 220 locations.