Below is a brief history of the plans for road schemes in the area

October 1970 - a route for a new 6-lane motorway, the M650, through the Aire Valley was given planning protection under the Town and Country Planning Act 1968. The motorway is planned to provide a continuous link from Cumbria to the M1. The Aire Valley Preservation Society is formed in opposition. 4980 official objections are submitted.

November 1971 - Michael Heseltine, Under Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment, promises to look at alternatives in the face of strong local objections.

October 1972 - West Yorkshire County Council formally supports M650 route.

December 1974 - M650 Motorway idea scrapped - revised proposals published providing for a new dual 2-lane trunk road between Baildon and Kildwick. November 1975 - Attempts to hold a Public Inquiry into the Airedale Trunk Road plans are subjected to an organised campaign of disruption. 2288 formal objections submitted. Inquiry eventually abandoned in February 1976.

May 1978 - the Secretary of State meets councillors from the County Council and Bradford Council. 2 months later the Minister that fresh proposals would be published followed by an Inquiry.

February 1979 - Bradford Council formally resolves to fully support the construction of a trunk road in the Aire. It is argued that "a continuous, high standard, route through the Aire Valley is the most effective way to link traffic from the Aire and Wharfe valleys with an improved Canal Road and City Ring Road in Bradford and ultimately with the motorway network."

January 1980 to October 1980 - new Public Inquiry held. The report of the Inspector, Mr Raymond Chance QC (dated 3rd September 1981) was published in May 1982. The Inspector's Report accepted the DoT's case that the existing road (A650/A629) was incapable of sustaining the expected growth in traffic. East of Bingley the Inspector fiercely rejected the Department of Transport's proposals. He described the proposed Interchange at Dowley Gap as an "hideous eyesore". He also deprecated the loss of amenity and environmental damage at Saltaire and Roberts Park as too great for the communities to bear. The Inspector concluded that a continuous route from Kildwick to Bingley was all he could recommend. He then promulgated a variation to the DoT's proposal by saying the Airedale Route should terminate at Cottingley Bar.

May 1982 - The Inspector's recommendations were accepted by the Secretaries of State for Transport and for the Environment. The link from Bingley to Baildon is dropped. But both Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire County Council reject the recommendations. At every subsequent Side Roads Inquiry the opportunity was taken to express the view that no part of the Airedale Route should be built before a line has been agreed east of Bingley.

July 1982 - Bradford Council and the County Council agree to develop their own proposals on Airedale Route options east of Cottingley Bar. They consider 4 options:
1 Upgrade the existing A650 to dual 2-lane all purpose road.
2 Build dual 2-lane all purpose road on existing A650/A657.
3 Construct a Shipley Southern bypass.
4 Construct a route following the BR Airedale line.

They favour the last option - a reworking of the valley bottom route so roundly rejected by the 1980 Chance Public Inquiry.

January 1983 - Compulsory purchase orders for properties in Bingley issued.

May 1984 - The DoT publishes options for routes east of Bingley. It presents 3 routes for consideration: a route to Cottingley Bar; a route through Roberts Park slightly to the south of the line rejected by the 1980 Public Inquiry known as the Coach Road route, and a route following the BR Airedale line known as the Railway Route. Public outrage at the continued attempts to push the rejected Valley bottom route are expressed at mass meetings organised by the Aire Valley Preservation Society, the Saltaire Village Society and the newly formed Coach Road Residents Association.

June 1984 - The former Inquiry Inspector, Raymond Chance, publicly accuses the Department of Transport of lying about his proposals for a link to Cottingley: "This is a blatant untruth, which must be known by the authorities and can be no other than a bare-faced deception of the public".

October 1984 - Bradford Council and West Yorks County Council agree to push for the modified Coach Road (Green) Route between Bingley and Baildon Bridge and proposed Shipley Eastern Bypass.

April 1985 - the Secretary of State for Transport reiterated the decision to terminate the Airedale Route at Cottingley Bar.

1988 - Sections 1 and 2 of the Airedale Route were opened to traffic between Kildwick and Crossflatts.

Feb 1990 - Public Inquiry on Compulsory Purchase Orders for Bingley Relief Rd opens at Bankfield Hotel. Bradford Council decides to oppose Relief Road unless Section 4 (Valley Bottom Route to Baildon) is approved also. Council Report states that building the Relief Road only will bring "unacceptable traffic pressures on Saltaire, Shipley and North Bradford until such time as Section 4 is implemented." Bradford Council also rejects suggested Shipley Tunnel ("Shunnel") option.

March 1992 - £20m Shipley Eastern Bypass approved by the government. Tenders invited for a geological survey to see if a Tunnel underneath Shipley (the "Shunnel") is feasible. This proposal is greeted with derision by locals. Work in Bingley started to move canal. Bingley Environmental Transport Association (BETA) is formed to oppose proposed Bingley "Bypass" and soon has 300 members.

November 1993 - Shocking secret plans for a new cross Pennine motorway along the Aire Valley are revealed by BBC Look North. The plans have being prepared by Bradford Council along with Leeds City Council and County Councils in North Yorkshire and Lancashire. Bradford Councillor Latif Darr confirms that Council Officers have been engaged in secret negotiations with the Department of Transport. One plan is to link the M65 to the M62, via Kildwick and the Aire Valley.

April 1994 - Bingley "Relief Road" (Airedale Section 3) relegated to priority 2.

November 1994 - Bradford Council begins concerted campaign for Bingley "Relief Road" to be built, joining forces with business and civic groups including the Freight Transport Association, the Yorkshire Roads group, the local Chambers of Trade and Commerce, the Better Bingley campaign, Bradford Breakthrough, Bingley Civic Trust, Keighley Business Forum, Keighley Civic Society and Saltaire Village Society.

December 1994 - Relief Road dropped from government's road building programme for 1995.

January 1995 - Telegraph & Argus step up their campaign to have Section 3 built. First front page "Open letter" from editor Perry Austin-Clarke, repeated in June under title "Set us free".

November 1995 - Shipley Eastern Bypass downgraded by government to "long term programme".

December 1995 - Government announce Bingley Section to go ahead through "private finance". The "Design, Build, Finance & Operate" (DBFO) scheme is introduced. Private companies will finance the road and be paid by a system of "shadow tolls" over the next 30 years. They are to be paid according to how much traffic they can generate. The "Shunnel" option for Shipley is dropped.

June 1996 - The Bingley tree Camp at Rye Loaf Hill, on the route of the "Relief Road", is established.

October 1996 - Government announces shortlist of "preferred bidders" for DBFO scheme. They are: Connect; Roadlink; Trafalgar House - Autostrale; Autolink. Subsequently revealed that builders Taywood Homes, who are planning to build a massive housing estate in East Morton, are linked with Autolink via parent company Taylor Woodrow.

November 1996 - Shipley Eastern Bypass is one of 110 schemes government drops from trunk roads programme.

December 1996 - Better Bingley Campaign, which is fighting for the road to be built, conducts a local survey on opinions. 96% say they don't believe they proposed "Relief Road" will solve their problems.

June 1997 - New Labour government announces new transport strategy. Many road schemes dropped altogether. Bingley Relief Road one of 12 put under "fast track review". T&A editor calls for Aire valley trunk road to be completed "in its entirety".

July 1997 - Bingley Relief Road review extended to March 1998.

July 1998 - Government gives go-ahead for Relief Road construction at an additional cost of £59m.