FEARS are running high Ilkley's award-winning flowerbeds could be grassed over as part of the latest cost-cutting exercise.

Hanging baskets and colourful summer bedding plants could disappear from the town as Bradford Council slashes its floral display spending by 80 per cent across the district.

It will no longer provide and fund the town's 46 lamppost hanging baskets and the Keighley constituency, which includes Ilkley, will see the number of summer bedding plants provided slashed from 87,500 to just 17,500.

Councillors now fear the town's flowerbeds could be grassed over as plans are thrashed out about how to reduce the visual impact on the former Britain in Bloom-winning town.

A number of options are on the table, including the introduction of 'friends of the flower' groups – a community planting and maintenance scheme.

Options will be discussed at Bradford Council's Keighley Area Committee today.

Councillors are now demanding clarity, and want assurances colourful flowerbeds will remain a prominent feature, as part of the attraction of a tourist area.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Ind, Ilkley) said: "The devil is in the detail. We have to make sure we're maintaining a colourful centre of the town."

Councillor Adrian Naylor (Ind, Craven), said: "We already pay money to Bradford Council for this.

"The implication is if you're a rich area you've got friends groups who can take over.

"Flowerbeds are there to make places attractive for people to visit. They support the vibrancy of the town. People don’t come to a place that looks as if it’s full of weeds.”

A report before councillors recommends some flowerbeds are removed and planting reduced at others, with more use of permanent flowers.

Flowerbeds in Addingham are also earmarked for cutbacks.

Bradford Council officers say they studied various options for the future of council-maintained flowerbeds. Options considered include using precept charges to support future costs or making use of plants grown by voluntary sector groups.

Ilkley in Bloom already manages some floral displays and planters in the town.

Secretary, Kate Brown, thinks prominent feature flowerbeds in town should be kept colourful, but believes this could be achieved with an increase in permanent planting.

She said: "That wouldn't make too much of a difference as long as it was in appropriate places. But I do think residents and visitors need to see some colourful displays of bedding plants.

"We've got the moor on one side, which is quite dark, and Middleton Woods on the other – we need some colour in the centre."

l Yorkshire in Bloom judges will make their second visit of the year to Ilkley on July 10.

Ilkley in Bloom will hold a litter pick the previous evening, starting at 6.30pm. Volunteers should meet in the centre South Hawksworth Street car park. Rubbish sacks and litter pickers will be provided.