A conservation group set up to look after Ilkley Moor wants to set the record straight over its need for funds.

The Friends Of Ilkley Moor was set up to supplement the work of Bradford Council’s countryside service by providing another source of funding for vital conservation work.

But the group believes the recent announcement of a Government grant designed to help the moor has caused confusion among residents and visitors over whether the Friends still needs publicly contributed funds.

A spokesman said: “The recent Govern-ment £1million grant for Ilkley Moor has caused some confusion as to who will receive it, how will it be spent, and over what period.”

Danny Jackson, Bradford Council’s countryside and rights of way manager, said: “The grant is a higher level stewardship (HLS) agreement that the Bradford Metropolitan District Council, as owners of Ilkley Moor, have signed up to, along with the owners of Burley Moor with Natural England.

“These agreements are one strand of the Government’s agri-environment schemes which are targeted at landowners to encourage more land management for nature conservation – with less emphasis on headage payments for livestock.

“Our agreement includes Ilkley and Burley Moors and offers annual payments for moorland management practices – such as heather management, bracken control, drainage reversal, boundary repair, etc. It also pays significantly for reducing the sheep numbers on the moors-these payments go to the farmers with grazing rights, not the landowner.”

The agreement lasts for ten years and over that period is worth £900,000 in total. This figure is shared between Bradford Council, the owners of Ilkley Moor, Bingley Moor Estate, owners of Burley Moor, and the sheep grazers. Of the £90,000 per annum, a proportion goes to the grazers and the rest is shared between Burley and Ilkley.

Mr Jackson added: “The real attraction for the Bradford Council is that these agreements also make provision for additional special projects which are essentially capital works – such as restoration of the fire-damaged area, stone-flagging of footpaths, wall repair, etc. “We are in discussion with Natural England to secure some of this capital money for Ilkley Moor.”

The money will not be going to Friends of Ilkley Moor which still needs funds as much as ever and is looking for ways to attract money.

Nick Rochford, treasurer of The Friends of Ilkley Moor, said “This funding is very welcome and will be put to good use on Ilkley Moor by Bradford Council. However, along with aid from Government grant schemes and the national lottery, we need to start identifying more sustainable sources of funding.

“This is the key to ensuring the moor is kept in good condition for future generations to enjoy when the grant aid runs out.”

The Friends are proposing to set up a £1m endowment fund to generate future income later this year. The Ilkley Moor Fund will be built up over future years from donations and bequests.”