THE SALE of one of Ilkley’s heritage buildings has been a fear for some time, so it is only natural that people have responded to the latest Manor House development with urgency and alarm.

Although there are some who clearly have reason to believe the Manor House is not about to be sold off to the highest bidder to do with as they so wish, it is perhaps best that the community does do through all that is being said and discussed about this piece of local heritage with a fine toothcomb.

It appears that some viable future for the Manor House is on the table, and those who know what is under discussion firmly believe there is a very real chance that something of benefit to the community at large will happen.

But while public cuts continue to happen, national pots of funding shrink, and no agreements are in place, it is best to remain vigilant about the future of the Manor House.

Although there is the possibility that full and open public discussion of what is on the table at the moment may hamper negotiations, a better flow of information would be reassuring to Ilkley residents.

Few people if any were expecting Bradford Council to backtrack entirely and commit to running the museum as it has in the past. But when notification arrives that the Council intends to dispose of the building, and indeed ‘sale’ was a word communicated to some parties, without further and much more detailed explanation, it is bound to provoke real concern.