We all understand the pressures local government is under to balance cutting costs at the same time as trying to maintain the level of services they deliver.

It’s a finely-tuned balancing act, and no matter how hard they try, councils often find that the figures just don’t add up, which means either something has to give or more money is needed.

A case in point has been the recent threat to Ilkley’s children’s centres, which were due to suffer from Bradford council cost-cutting but which were given a one-year stay of execution at the 11th hour, thanks to a cash injection.

However, those in power in local government must also bear in mind that council coffers are not the only things struggling in the wake of the country’s recent financial woes – households are having just as bad a time of it.

So the decision to increase the precept paid by people in the Ilkley Parish Council area – the extra money put on the council tax to allow for local spending – by 22 per cent is unlikely to be welcomed in many quarters.

When everyone is tightening their belts and often struggling to make their income – which might not have increased due to pay freezes or lower-than-inflation rises for many years – balance out against rising fuel and food costs, this extra expense does seem to have come at precisely the wrong time.

A proportion of this rise is to offset the associated costs of bringing the Tour de France through the area this year, and as this is a one-off event it will be interesting to see if the precept does actually go down next year, as some critics of this rise have suggested it should.

Staying attractive

Scarcely a week goes by without some reference being made to holes in the road, patchy pavements, and a whole host of other maintenance problems on the streets of Ilkley.

In the eyes of those who hold the ever-tightening purse strings at Bradford Council, no doubt many of these issues are not deemed high priority, as they do not endanger anyone and do not represent a failure to provide an urgently-needed service.

Many would argue, however, that particularly in a tourist town such as Ilkley, what some might deem as cosmetic issues can have a real impact on the area. Ilkley town centre in particular must remain attractive to shoppers and daytrippers if it is to continue to thrive in its current form.

Patching up asphalt pavements may prevent people tripping over holes, but it does not make for the most attractive environment for visitors.

In fact, increasing deterioration in the surroundings can give repeat visitors the impression the whole town is in decline. What should be done about it is a different matter – and one that will unavoidably cost money. Local authorities make no secret of the fact they are tightening their budgets, and little if any spare cash is available for non-essential work. Not all of this is council work, however.

It is possible to ask landlords to tend to town centre premises, where people see maintenance and general presentation getting worse, and there may be other aspects of the town centre’s appearance which could be improved with some thought from within the community – plus simple acts such as picking up litter.