People wanting to stage events or provide facilities for next summer’s Tour de France have been urged to register their plans with Bradford Council.

Sarah Howsen, of the district council’s tourism department, explained that this was for the council’s own emergency planning purposes rather than a need to gain permission.

She was commenting during last week’s meeting of the Bronte Country Tourism Partnership (BCTP).

“Currently there are only three events registered for the Tour weekend, and these are all in Ilkley,” she said.

“This is really about safety. For example, if someone reports a fire in a field then only one fire engine might turn up. But it’s a much more serious matter if there are 200 tents in that field.”

She added that she had driven along the route the cyclists will follow when they pass through the district, and queried how spectators could be safely accommodated on some of the narrower sections.

Commenting on how to co-ordinate this participation, BCTP member Graham Mitchell said: “One problem is that many well-meaning people have been drawn in, who have never before been involved with something of this scale.”