Saltaire canal towpath upgrade to improve safety

Work to make a canal towpath more accessible for people using wheelchairs, mobility scooters and prams is to begin.

Widening and resurfacing a two mile (3.2km) stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, between Hirst Lock in Saltaire and Primrose Lane in Bingley, would also benefit pedestrians and cyclists, the Sustrans charity said.

The section of towpath will be shut during the construction work which is expected to last about nine weeks.

Bradford Council said it hoped people would understand the short closure would be worth "the end result".

The work, which begins on Monday, is a collaboration between walking and cycling charity Sustrans, the Canal and River Trust and Bradford Council, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Josh Molyneux, Sustrans network development manager for Yorkshire, said a new all-weather surface would make the path "more comfortable and accessible for people walking, using a mobility aid, or pushing a double buggy".

"For the safety of everyone we will need to close the towpath and a section of the Bingley 10 footpath while construction work is going ahead," he added.

Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport, said: "This is a very popular section of the towpath and the work will improve access and safety in the long-run.

"We support everything that has been done and is going to be done to enhance this attractive and scenic route."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds , catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here