`Roads for people' project is praised

From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Thursday 3rd Mar 2005.

A Bradford project to improve roads with advice from local residents has been praised at a national conference.

Bradford Council officials travelled to London today to tell other councils about their work in making Oak Lane a better place to live - part of its Revitalising Communities on Main Roads project.

Bradford Council landscape architect Sarah Ali said: "It is great to see the scheme getting recognition so early on.

"Work is still very much in the early stages but most of the public consultation has already taken place."

Street audits were carried out with residents, children and businesses last year to see what improvements they would like to see.

Suggestions included creating a seating area, restricting parking on the main road and improving levels of street lighting.

Project manager Fiona Limb said: "Some of the work has already started. The rest will be carried out on a rolling plan over the next year."

It was one of four schemes in the UK highlighted as a model for best practice by Transport 2000, an independent national body which campaigns on transport issues.

Radical urban planner Ben Hamilton-Baillie was the key speaker at the conference called New Life for Main Roads.

He helped to draw up revolutionary plans for the redesign of Exhibition Road in Kensington, London.

Also making an appearance at the conference was Railway Children actress Jenny Agutter, patron of Transport 2000, a registered charity.

She was there to launch a new film called Main Roads Fit for People, which aims to inspire communities to take action to reclaim high streets from traffic.

Part of the filming of Main Roads Fit for People was done in Bradford.

"Too many roads are places where people have to be rather than want to be," said Ms Agutter, who will be in Bradford on Friday to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Bradford Film Festival.

She added: "Transport 2000 is exploring the problems faced by ordinary people every day on our high streets."

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