Batley isn’t perhaps the first town in the borough you might go looking for a rural idyll but Lady Ann Crossing on Batley Footpath 20 is a bit of the Railway Children hanging on in the 21st century. Question is, for how much longer?
At the moment the signal box is staffed and path users can cross when it’s safe to do so. The signaler unlocks the gates and waves you through. A near perfect way to cross a live railway line. However, the fat controller wants to remove the current level crossing and staff as part of plans to “upgrade” the line which involve electrification and more trains.
There is currently a planning application for the works associated with removing the crossing and building a footbridge over the line which involves the rather fanciful diversion of Batley 20. See plan below.
The diversion proposal involves turning a straight forward 17m walk over the crossing into a convoluted marble run of 255m via steps or 355m via ramps. The inconvenience speaks for itself here and requires little further illumination.
Comments are open until 6th January 2022 via publicrightsofway@kirklees.gov.uk
Path Watch 
Me & my husband use this crossing regularly pushing our Granddaughter its bad enough having to walk uphill to the crossing i dont want to add another half mile on my trip having to walk round this silly planned walkway.
Give your heads a wobble as it will only cause people to cross the line due to it being quicker.
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