ILKLEY Town Council has resolved there will be no increase in its precept for 2022/23.

This means a Band D household will continue to pay £47.11 per year, all of which goes directly to the Town Council.

The Council says it recognised the financial pressures faced by households and “approved a balanced budget making prudent use of its income and reserves, without additional cost to ratepayers”.

Ilkley Town Mayor Councillor Mark Stidworthy said: “The 2022/23 budget acknowledges the economic challenges ahead. The Town Council will continue to use resources carefully to enhance community life and our local cultural heritage, and to address the environmental priorities identified by Ilkley voters in the 2019 local elections. I encourage residents to share your thoughts with us about how we propose to spend your money.”

The Council says it will continue to support community life in Ilkley whilst ensuring adequate funds are available for ongoing projects such as the toilet renovation. New public space refurbishment projects and events to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are planned. The Council’s reserves have been reviewed and budgets allocated to maintain and enhance assets (for example by installing solar panels) and to prepare for future priorities including road safety and the Wharfedale Greenway.

Deputy Town Mayor Councillor Ros Brown added: “Over the past three years Ilkley Town Council has received 15 per cent of the Community Infrastructure Levy generated by new housing built in the town. This has enabled us to create reserves for future traffic calming and to promote safe active travel for residents of all ages, releasing parking spaces for those who need them. We continue to support environmental initiatives to meet the challenges of the climate and ecological emergencies and to grant awards to resident-led environmental projects.”

The budget did not go through unopposed. All four Conservatives town councillors present voted for an amendment to remove an £80,000 traffic calming reserve. Three voted against the budget itself, with one abstaining.

In a letter to the Ilkley Gazette Conservative Town Councillor Andrew Loy explains: "I could not vote for a budget which includes a ‘traffic calming reserve’ - a euphemistic description for an £80,000 subsidy to Bradford Council. We do need targeted investment in road safety in parts of the town, but Bradford is responsible for highways, not the Town Council. We should be fighting for that investment from Bradford, which already receives so much from Ilkley in council tax and parking revenues - around £300,000 p.a. from South Hawksworth Street car park alone.

"This political decision by Lib Dem and Green councillors to hand £80,000 to Bradford will have clear consequences. There will be less money next year for grants to community groups and council services which benefit local residents. I felt I had no choice but to vote against the budget."