Ilkley Rocks

Hmm, so Cameron visits Keighley (not really prime Tory country, but one assumes the news reports meant the constituency.) and gets a story on Newsnight out of it. Unfortunately, not the one they wanted.

What have we here? Seriously un-Cameron-like behaviour from our local grande dame Mrs Hawkesworth’s consort, John. An email calling opponents ‘reptiles’? ‘Cripples’?

Now I’m not much of a hypocrite, and I’ve abused enough people on this blog so I’m not in a position to criticise. Course, if I start flinging around terms of abuse about the blessed Anne now, its going to be a tad harder for her or her husband to complain.

But its not exactly that new face of conservatism that Tory Boy has been promoting is it–and one assumes the Labour spin doctors will be keeping it running to keep the arrest of one of their aides for perjury out of the public eye ?

(btw, the recipient of this email, Kris Hopkins, who is seeking to appear whiter than white (a Jade Goody reference there), is of course only leader of Bradford Council because of a rather sordid power-sharing deal with the LibDems after the voters comprehensively trounced his party in the 2006 local elections, is also now the local Tory candidate for the constituency (and will need the Hawkesworths’ help if he’s to stand any chance against t’other Ann), and was heavily involved in the scandal over the failed sell-off and leaseback of public buildings, protecting Simon Cooke over his ‘interesting gestures’, the scandal of Bradford’s failing schools, etc….)

The email runs–

“My brother Peter met the Cripple (our unPC name for Mark Taylor) this afternoon, and he, the Cripple, was pumping Peter about the selection for the PPC.

“I would trust that reptile less than a barrel of monkeys.”

One wonders whether that ‘our’ includes the less-than-sainted Anne?

(btw, love the image used to accomoany the piece at politics.co.uk–is that really Mr Hawkesworth? Hope he hasn’t got one of those exploding Sony batteries)

I said at the last election we should just get her out, but you lot didn’t listen.

The glaring hypocrisy of our MP was shown up on Wednesday. She signed the EDM on the conduct of the war in Iraq, demanding an enquiry.

And then, when the chance came, she voted AGAINST. Way to go Ann. Nothing like consistency.

(sorry, by way of that man over there)

So, after all that, the Moor remains in Bradford’s hands.

But selling off Silver Well Cottage to finance improvements? Why? It smacks of selling off the family silver. What happens next time, in a few years, when Bradford still hasn’t provided the money the moor requires?

Retaining ownership is fine, as long as they start increasing the amount of money spent on it. Most cultural institutions over the past ten years have produced audits reflecting their impact in terms of cash, and other instrumental effects (help with social inclusion, etc.), in order to make their case for increased grants.

Given the amount of tourist money the Moor brings into Bradford, the £10,000 per year provided by the Council was shameful. Given also the agenda around health, there are probably other funds and grants that can be applied for, without selling off local assets (and without re-introducing shooting without any consultation as happened last year).

Actually, talking of other funds, our research elves dug up this story from a couple of years back–how the moor and other areas had received £850,000 of extra support back in 2003. So where’s the moor’s share of this money gone? Also note Danny Jackson suggesting the new group then created–SCOSPA–was the vehicle to receive a lot more money from European and other sources. So was the local trust ever needed?

This was a comment left by Cllr Hawkesworth. While I have criticised and name-called in the past, some things (like our beloved moor) are too important, so I completely endorse all comments.

I’m going up there later, had looked forward to spending a few hours on the moor (it being my birthday and all), but, now…

May I please trespass on your hospitality to give visitors to your blog some news about the Moor? Although you cannot see from the town, 30% of Ilkley Moor is burned out and dead. This includes the most ecologically important sites, the best grazing for sheep and a good proportion of the grouse habitat. I am meeting English Nature and DEFRA tomorrow to discuss what I fear will be a long road to recovery. All who love our town and moor must work together to assist this goal. I may not agree with all that is said to me, I may not act on all suggestions put to me, but I do listen. I am very happy to listen now. The only thing I am not interested in is points scoring. We all value the work of our Fire Service, but I must in addition record our grateful thanks to our own Council staff, the employees of neighbouring estates and the farmers for the huge efforts they put in to contain the fire. I am sorry to have taken up so much space.

Someone claiming to be Cllr Hawkesworth has responded to my previous post. What I love is the imputation that I’m holding her commments back because I’m unwilling to listen to criticism.

Councillor Hawkesworth accusing someone else of not listening to the public, and not answering questions? I think we have a definition of irony.

…Councillor Hawkesworth plots.

It seems that the fires currently ‘raging’ (and well done Maisie the sheepdog) are just the excuse the power-mad old harridan needs to suggest changing the rules governing access to the moor. Apparently, it being common land simply isn’t good enough. These fires show the need to give Bradford Council the right to close down free access.

So much for the proposed trust giving control to the ‘people’ of Ilkley. The Trust will contain the usual great and good, who will use their new powers to close down access whenever they feel like it, or whenever they and their friends fancy something like a bit of shooting. and any excuse will be good enough to concentrate more power in their hands.

The Gazette printed the letter about the Trust, alongside a couple of others. Strange to be on the same side as arch-Tory Barbara Cussons (actually, as I’m not sure she knows what sie she’s on, this may not be true). In common with usual practice, the subs failed completely to proof the page, with the result that the last paragraph got completely mangled.

ONe just can’t get the staff. Quite how someone manages to mangle the text in a letter sent by e-mail where all one has to do is cut and paste is beyond me.

1) Given that the new Natural England body only becomes effective from 1 October 2006, why the precipitate rush to form a trust? Natural England has yet to make clear its level of support for either trusts or council-owned natural land.

2) Councillor Hawkesworth needs to spell out precisely what extra funding would become available if a Trust was formed. Would this funding only become available if the Trust had significant private sector involvement?

3) Under the suggested terms of any trust:
How would the trustees be selected? Would Trustees be elected by Ilkley rate-payers?
Would the rate-payers of Ilkley have any say in the Trust’s composition?
Would the Trust be intended to have control over access and use of the moor–ie. could it potentially allow the re-introduction of shooting?
Would the Trust have control over the properties on the Moor–Silver Well, White Wells, etc?

4) Given that the recent proposals for hiving off the public buildings of Ilkley to a private body collapsed under accusations of corruption, should public concern over similar privatization of the moor not be taken more seriously, rather than being treated with disdain by COuncillor Hawkesworth?

Let us not forget that Ilkley Moor was bought for the people of Ilkley by the Local Board in June 1893. Since that time we have collectively owned it. This land is our land, and it should not lightly be handed over to a group of unelected individuals over whom we have no control.

(and from where does the ‘this land is our land quote come? Probably the first use of a diggers slogan with regard to Ilkers)

More on the trust idea from the minutes of Bradford council (it’s a cached google version of a pdf).

Given that the management document suggests that 5K is all that is spent on the moor by Bradford (which sort of makes the management document unattainable), the notion of the trust is to allow an independent body to apply for more funding. Of course, with the very generous precept IPC organizes for itself, there is a pot of money ready and waiting to improve the environment.

Those opposed seem to be suggesting that all the moor needs is more brass, which is true. But its unlikely to be increased by Bradford. Better by far to return it to local control. Before going forwards, though, would the trust consist of the usual busybodies? Would there be elections (after all, according the the Middelton settlement, we all own the moor)? Would the people of Ilkley have a say in what happens, or would it be like everything else, and decided in the tory club and the golf club (Ilkley, not Ben Rhydding), or in the gated community on OWler Park Road?

But if one of the ideas is considered, selling off Silver Well Cottage, I know at least two people who might be very interested.

(you know you should give up blogging when you re-use post titles for the third time).

Fraser tells me there’s a meeting of the Parish COuncil to dicsuss the plan for the future management of the Moor, June 5th, 7-30. Be there or, as I shall be, be somewhere else.

The management plan is available here –

I don’t yet have an opinion, except I don’t want a trust with no pasaran in charge.

From the people who brought you theyworkforyou, comes hear from your MP.

Ever wondered what Ann Cryer does between elections? Wonder why she doesn’t show her face in Ilkley except at the Remembrance Day commemorations? Wonder why she keeps making stupidly racist statements? Then add your name and e-mail to the list, wait for another nineteen constituents to join and then an e-mail gets sent to Ann suggesting she might like to talk to some of her constituents.

Mind, given the trouble me and Yorkie had in getting in touch with her, I wonder which e-mail address it will go to?

Okay, it’s not a great headline, but it’s ben a long day.

Information received suggests one or two of our local councillors are conducting something of a Vendetta against our local hostelries. At a festval event on Friday, one councillor was heard exclaiming ‘one down, three to go’ over the news of the failure of The Crescent to extend its licensing hours. Good to see the Council on the side of local business and all that. Will it make an iota of difference to the level of anti-social behaviour in town? Course not. But Mr. Smith thinks different.

And finally, only five months after they started the work, it looks like we’re going to get proper Zebra crossings back. Well done the efficiency of Bradford Council!

but I did want to recommend this wonderful post on Blair’s campaign for the muslim community to do more to stop terrorism.

Actually, Leeds isn’t that far away, so I suppose it is sort of relevant.

Nice quote from our beloved leader of the council, Funky Gibbons. Referring to the arrival of 20 travellers on to East Holmes Fields, he sayeth…

Ilkley is…a wonderful place for the local ratepayers to enjoy. And many residents feel that having paid considerably for the privilege of such community that it should be as unspoiled as possible

So there you go. We’ve paid our money, and that means we don’t have to suffer gyppos, niggers or pakis in our town. That sort of thing’s for people paying less council tax.

Sometime in March this year, it was decided to do some work on the streets around town. Obviously, the decision was taken because there was a pile of money left at FY year end, and nobody really knew what to do with it.

So they decided to tuck in a road here, put some chicanes over there, generally fuck up the nice flow of traffic. And, yes, the general busybodies in town had a word or two. And the Gusset listened. Because, without busybodies, the Gusset has nothing to report.

So, what’s the result three months later? Well, the good news is that we finally have something approaching a pedestrian crossing at the bottom of Brook Street. The town’s busiest intersection. Only, it’s not really a pedestrian crossing, because no-one without 20/20 vision can actually see to the other side of the road to see whether the little man is green or red (and weren’t they a t’riffic band? Sixteen ways, what a song. But I digress)

Elsewhere, around the Town Hall, we have those wonderful new stones that councils insist on putting everywhere, only now sticking out into the road and meaning that every rainfall, the pavement turns into an icerink (never mind they’ve covered the drains up) and pensioners fly towards the traffic, breaking hips left, right and centre.

But the piece de piss has been the work on the Brook Street and Station Road zebra crossings. After three months we have narrow, not complete, confusing for motorists, dangerous for pedestrians, crossings. The pavements aren’t done properly (just count how many slabs are broken already). They appear to be in the wrong place. They’re still not finished. No-one knows where the crossings actually are. There will be more deaths because of the re-arrangement.

All in all, it’s a total fucking disaster.

And who is responsible? Step forward Councillor Hawkesworth. Well done. Another triumph for local government. Another total waste of money. Next time ‘something really must be done’, why not just fuck off to the Seychelles like we’d expect? Like the man said, government is too important to be left to plutocratic ladies-who-lunch (or, just to be not-sexist, gentlemen-who-dine).

Thankfully, the Council have now limited the amount that can be given out to community groups to £500. I’m sure this will mean no further large grants for pet projects of the councillors themselves.

Doesn’t it? Or are they exempt?

*Phew*

That was a worry wasn’t it? Were the councillors of our fair town going to refuse £5,000 of our money to a pet project of one of their own number? It really looked like they might. Didn’t it? No?

So, another 5K gets handed to Councillor Hawkesworth for her Summer Festival on the say-so of her colleagues. Nice one. Doubles all round at Ilkley Golf Club then…

We seem stuck with this surplus to the precept. SO stuck, indeed, that various are attempting to persuade the parish council to pass the money to various veteran’s charities. Now, I have no problem giving money to veterans of this parish. But why should we be taxed and then the money passed to national charities. If I wanted to give my hard-earned away (and, obviously, I don’t), I would. Don’t steal from me and then make it compulsory.

We’ve entered mad march hare season. Everyone who has ever worked in the public sector knows the feeling. Desperate to spend that last fragment of cash, because it can’t be carried over (though IPC have managed to carry over money the last two FYs, but they’re special). SO lots of jobs get done that, uhhr, really don;t need to be done.

Okay, the new kiddies playground is welcome.

But why are we moving all the zebra crossings in town about one yard to the left (or right)?

And why are pipes being put in even when there’s been no problem with the water?

And why has Queen’s Road had its roads planed today? ANd just, when it comes down to it, what is road-planing?

So farewell to Manfred Mann as our Parish Council Chair, and welcome back to Machine Gun Gibbons. For a third term. Just as a reminder for those at the back (this is everyday tit-for-tat), Machine Gun was the man responsible for the precept we all pay. Well, I say all. Machine Gun doesn’t pay it. He lives in Otley. Yes, taxation organisaed by someone who doesn’t have to pay it.

And it’s no coincidence that his return should be accompanied by the spread of cameras across the streets around the town. Machince Gun has his home cinema set up to watch everything we’re doing. Be afraid, be slightly afraid.

The official ban on hunting with dogs comes into force today. Now, I’m not going to get into the whole ‘is it right or is it wrong’ thing. Frankly the limp-wristed arguments of both sides leave me cold.

What does amaze me, though, is the insistence of the pro-hunt lobby that their, uhhr, activity, is a matter of civil, nay, human rights. Somewhere in our unwriten constitution, every true-born Englishman has been given the right to tear wild animals to pieces. Kewel.

Course, if they really believe that, we’ll be seeing a few of the huntsmen in full pink outside Belmarsh Prison. Perhaps they’ll be building alliances with other victims of human rights abuses. "You support our right to tear animals to pieces, and we’ll support your right not to be imprisoned without trial, suffer house arrest, and have your passports removed on evidence produced under torture." It could happen. Couldn’t it?

But if this bill stops hunting with dogs, what’s to stop our local hunts recruiting other agents to do their dirty work? I can see it now, ‘The Bramham Hunt’s new Master of Feral Scutter Children’. There’s plenty of them around in Leeds, and no-one would miss a few. Probably be getting better diets as a result too.

Does the Labour Party need money that badly? Visiting the local Labour Party website, and checking on the forum, I’m bombarded with ads.

Mostly, I note without a hint of irony, for casinos.

And the administrator needs to do a little work methinks!

Dunno if it was just me who got the Bradford Council glossy handout a few weeks back. Lots of lovely statistics and pieces about the frankly bizarre ‘Seat Belt Girl’ campaign. Buried in the statistics was some material on the performance of the various local departments.

Having worked in the public sector, I know these alays, but always, show an upward trend (the secret is to re-forecast between reporting dates, so you’re always achieving/surpassing targets). Only, not this time. One department was notable by its lack of success, and its tumbling performance. And which one would that be? Step forward Councillor Anne ‘no pasaran’ Hawkesworth and her Environmental Department. Well done that woman.

Another of our regular themes is the coming of the Ilkley police state. It’s nothing of a surprise to see the first dry runs in place in neighbouring  Burley. Cars are being stopped at the village entrance ‘to make sure they’re not stolen’.

Apparently it’s an idea provided by the LAPD and their ‘Rodney King community relations’ department.

Mind, as the Ilkley copper stated a week ago that it’s an offence to provide false ID papers to bouncers at pubs, I’m not sure ANY of them have a grasp of the law.

I will do a long post on the upcoming election and the BNP and so on very soon. In the meantime, thanks to private eye, I note that our beloved membress of parliament is not that consistent on the subject of iD cards. On Nov 28th last year, she voted for an adjournment motion calling for major changes to the bill. And the very next day, November 29th, she praised the whole notion for its likely (ho hum) impact on illegal immigration.

I love a woman who knows her own mind. Wonder what she received over night? A free colour and rinse?

I particularly enjoy her contribution to the debate on provision of broadband.

The very first post on this site was an attack on the ludicrous visit baht’at country campaign being launched in the region.

Good news, then, that it’s being wound up. Or down. Depending which way you look at it.

Ilkley Rocks gets there. Eventually.

In the wonderfully batty letter by Mrs Cussons to the Gusset this week (of which more reference anon), she suggests that the indigent population of the country are irritated that they have no rights. Frankly, I have no sympathy. If they can’t be bothered to do anything but lay about, what do they expect?

Or have standards of English amongst our local Tory grandees gone to hell in a handbasket ?

Glad to see our beloved leaders are looking at how they can introduce ASBOs, now that parish councils are being given the power to do so.

ASBOs, of course, are given for things that are not criminal actvities. Like putting your feeet up on the station seating, or riding your bicycle on the pavement, or hanging around in groups looking threatening (which, frankly, is done by anyone under the age of sixty in this place). However, the breach of them is a criminal offence, leading to a penalty of up to five years in jail. Thy’re a way of criminalising people without having to prove anything in law.

Private Eye has a recent case of a yout’ who was given an ASBO not to congregate with more than three fellow youts’. He was arrested for breach of it. In a youth club. Attending a session on ‘Curing anti-social behaviour’.

GIven the arrogance of our current council leader ‘Manfred’ Mann (so obviously Tired of Trying, Bored With Lying, Scared of Dying) towards those critical of the junta, one can well imagine him sending them out in huge numbers.

Skaters first, of course, they’ve got that nice new park to skate in, why would they want to grind anywhere else? Then the anti-precept campaigners, Dundas and Schirn. Then Fraser wil be next on his list—an ASBO against writing to the local press.

The countdown has begun. Altogether now…5 4 3 2 1

(I apologise to anyone born after 1980 who might not get the musical jokes)

Why is everyone up in arms about the idea of a wind farm at Kettlesing?. Apparently, it will mar the view from our moor.

Well, of course it won’t. Leaving aside the beauty of such things, especially on the remoteness of the moor, there’s something else blotting the view to a much greater extent. But, funnily, none of our Tory councillors ever mention it.

Menwith Hill.

Which is not only a blot on the landscape, but it’s a threat to our security as well.

Maybe the wind farm is a clever idea by Lindis Percy and her friends at the peace camp to isrupt the listening power of the station?

Clever, very clever…