A NEW highways chief today pledged to reopen talks about controversial plans for a bypass from the M65 at Colne into Yorkshire.

And local authorities will decide within the next 12 months whether they want to go ahead with the proposals to link the counties before 2005.

Kevin Lasbury, who has taken over as the North West boss of the Highways Agency, will be responsible for managing and improving the area's motorways and trunk roads.

He said he planned to discuss with Lancashire County Council and the Yorkshire local authorities plans for creating a bypass from the end of the M65 into the white rose county.

Next year, all the local authorities will submit five-year plans for developing their road networks and will apply for Government grants for the work.

He said: "The extension has been discussed before and Lancashire County Council has removed its proposal to provide a dual-carriageway from Colne to Airedale. But this issue will have to be discussed between us all before those plans are drafted in July 2000."

Last year, a report to Lancashire County Council's Highways and Transportation Committee said work could not start on a Foulridge/Earby/ Thornton-in-Craven bypass until 2002 at the earliest.

The report said an environmental survey, public consultation and planning applications would take at least three years. If the scheme went ahead, private companies would be expected to join the public sector in building, financing and operating the road.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.