'Blatant disregard' of views of residents as axe falls on Ilkley tip

Last week Bradford Council voted through a budget which will see £40million slashed from local services.

Among the facilities on which the axe will fall is Ilkley's household waste recycling centre on Golden Butts Road.

Thousands of people signed a petition calling for Labour-run Bradford Council to think again when they said closing the tip was one of its cost-cutting measures.

Lead petitioner Joanne Sugden (Image: submitted)

Former Ilkley Town Councillor and lead petitioner Joanne Sugden, said: "The blatant disregard of the views of the people of Ilkley by Bradford Council in pushing ahead with its decision to close Ilkley tip, is disgraceful.

"Closing the tip on Golden Butts Road will have a huge impact on Ilkley and its residents. It will have a negative impact on the local environment by increasing pollution and fly tipping whilst also discriminating against the elderly, disabled and non driving residents.

"I am appalled by the decision taken by Bradford Council. At the Full Council meeting in February and the Council’s Executive meeting last Tuesday, I clearly set out the valid and significant concerns of the people of Ilkley and these were ignored. We need to do everything possible to ensure Ilkley tip is retained."

Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said Government had cut over £350m from the Council's budget since 2010, adding: "After 14 years of austerity we stand here having to vote for yet more cuts."

Referring to some of the petitions against cuts, Cllr Hinchliffe thanked petitioners, but said: "We can't afford to run all these services any more."

Last week the Government revealed it would grant "exceptional financial support" to Bradford.

It will allow the Council to hold off bankruptcy by filling its budget gaps with £220m over two years to be funded through a mix of borrowing and the sale of properties.

But financial stability will also require around £35m worth of cuts each year for the next five years. The budget will see Council Tax rise by 4.99 per cent, a total of three tips and a children's activity centre shut and costs for services like parking rise.

A flood of disappointment and protestations came from Ilkley's councillors and politicians.

Councillor David Nunns (Conservative, Ilkley) pledged that the Conservative councillors would explore alternatives, which he said could include employing a private recycling company to ensure the continued provision of this facility.

He said: "This would inevitably result in charges having to be made for those that use the centre, and that’s presuming a private contractor can be found who is prepared to take on the running of the facility on a day to day basis.

“It is also incumbent upon Ilkley Town Council to assess whether or not this facility can be taken over as a public asset and financed through the town precept in some part, or as a joint venture with the private sector.”

Councillor Andrew Loy (Conservative, Ilkley) added: “This is devastating news for Ilkley. We put forward a fully-costed amendment which would have kept Ilkley Tip open and also scrapped the proposed increase in parking charges, but unfortunately this was voted down.

“It was disappointing to see that the Greens didn’t put forward any alternative to closing our local recycling centres, especially given the negative environmental impact it is bound to cause.

“We will consider all options now to try to ensure there is a viable alternative. Ilkley residents can’t be expected to drive a 20 mile round trip to Keighley.”

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Independent, Ilkley) said residents were "alarmed" at the closure of the tip and said: "We must as a town make every effort to retain the facility. The Town Council along with the private sector could possibly be a route forward. Unfortunately Bradford Council haven't assessed the cost of running individual sites therefore it is difficult to estimate."

Robbie Moore MP at the Ilkley tip (Image: submitted)

Ilkley and Keighley MP Robbie Moore said the budget widened the funding gap between Bradford city centre and outlying areas.

He said: "It is quite frankly astounding that instead of joining the united efforts of our community against these plans, local labour councillors in my constituency instead sided with Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe and rubber-stamped these plans.

"The case to take Keighley and Ilkley out of Bradford Council control and form our own unitary authority has never been stronger. I hope that local residents, councillors and community figures of all political backgrounds will join me in this fight in the coming weeks and months.”

John Grogan , Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Keighley and Ilkley has called for residents of Ilkley and Addingham, to join Menston and Burley, to be given access to the Otley Household Waste Recycling Centre at Ellar Ghyll.

John Grogan (Image: submitted)

He said: "In the wake of the decision to close Golden Butts, given the financial circumstances of Bradford Council, we now need to put aside the blame game and try and chart a way forward. I would urge Bradford and Leeds Councils to examine whether they can do a deal to allow Bradford residents to use Ellar Ghyll. It may be that discussions could also be held with North Yorkshire County Council regarding the use of Skipton Waste recycling centre."