THERE will be no cars on the Grove in Ilkley on the afternoon of Sunday, September 22 in support of World Car Free Day as a weekend of environmental activism and campaigning unfolds around the globe.

Residents and visitors are urged to join in to celebrate World Car Free Day. Events take place internationally and are designed to give motorists an idea of their locality with fewer cars.

Local environmental campaign group Climate Action Ilkley, with permission from Bradford Council, is closing the Grove between noon and 5pm.

Anna Davidson, of Climate Action Ilkley said: “We are not telling people to give up their cars but are asking them to think about their impact on the climate. If they can walk or cycle or use public transport on car-free day that will be great.”

Various local organisations with a focus on the environment will be taking part. Events will run from 2pm-5pm. There will be a kids’ cycle track, crafts and e-bike demos throughout. Two Rivers band will be playing from 2pm until 4pm, there’s a free yoga session from 4pm-4.30pm and a low-impact fashion show from 4.30pm-5pm in conjunction with Oxfam. Outside the Box will be selling coffee and cakes (with a discount if you bring your own mug). George Abramson, chairman of Climate Action Ilkley, added: “We plan to make car-free day not just about cars but show people how we can all help to make Ilkley a zero-carbon town.”

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Ind, Ilkley) said: “I’m pleased to see Ilkley taking a part in the symbolic gesture. It is sad however that Bradford Council didn’t accept the proposal seconded by me at the full council meeting in July. This was to aim for all public transport in the district to be electric by 2025.”

Councillor Kyle Green (Con, Ilkley) said: “Having recently taught my daughter how to safely start riding a bike and having seen the impact e-bikes have on increasing cycling take-up, I am delighted to see events promoting these environmentally-friendly forms of transport in our town.”

Cllr Green added “I have successfully passed a motion in council demanding urgent electric vehicle charging points, which will be a vital way to reduce carbon emissions.

“I am also supportive of the return of the hopper bus in Ilkley to improve public transport options and believe that an electric vehicle is the best way to do this both for the planet and in terms of reducing longer-term costs of this proposed service.”

Fossil-fuelled vehicles are responsible for about a quarter of the UK’s carbon footprint, deadly air pollution, unhealthy levels of inactivity and unsustainable use of public space.

Further details of the event are available on www.climateactionilkley.org