New research suggests that good management of heather moorlands can have an important impact on the battleagainstglobalwarming. Or, rather, bad management will have a highly negative effect on said battle.
And is there any moorland worse managed than our beloved Moor?
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?
Is it true that Monkfish and Arcade Fruits get the majority of their fish from the same source? QUite a difference in prices I note.
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.
with devastation so vast, perhaps local minor hatreds should be forgotten?
*sobs*
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.
We were house hunting in Hebden Bridge today.
Verdict: it’s not Ilkley.
But nowhere is. Which makes leaving rather difficult.
A little bird tells me that Father Hope, the ex-Archbish of York and now Parish Priest of the nearly-heretical St. Margaret’s, Ilkley, has been off work for the past four-six weeks.
With stress.
Yup, running a church in one of the richest parishes in the country, dealing with all those social problems, etc., tc.
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)
Last week was the 100th anniversary of the completion and opening of the New Bridge.
Not a mention was made of it by local dignitaries, local paper, local shops.
So, to make up…
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear New Brook Street Bridge
Happy Birthday to you
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.
The local paper has re-done its website. Which is a bit of a shock. No more massively out of date articles, no more letters from over a year ago (actually no letters at all as they haven’t uploaded those yet). Now it’s all spankingly up to date and interweb-friendly.
Course, the fact the Ilkley Gazette has increasingly little to do with Ilkley and uses more and more stories from sister papers in Yorkshire sort of undermines the project, but at least now we know why they’ve been cutting back on the paper version.
Fecks sake. After more threats of libel action, I’ve now removed all mention of CCTV and any other related issue. Mostly to stop the hassle to my beloved hoster.
Just noticed that extreme ironing has come to the local ‘burg as well. Some lovely shots of some top competitors working out their routines on the Cow and Calf and various other moor-like places. I guess this is extreme fell ironing.
Well, when we have a crime wave, we really have a crime wave. Despite being up for a month, the notice in Kwik Save refusing to sell eggs to under 16s has finally caught the local media’s attention . Possibly helped by being in Private Eye.
Anyone been egged?
Who took a jump off the Cow and Calf on Friday night/Saturday morning then? Any connections to the recent shenanigans at T’Crescent? Or have we Ilkley’s third murder–which is probably what the Gazette is hoping for?
…to Tubby’s. The last night was very emotional, lots of hugs from Robin and the staff, lots of insults flying. And, contrary to my previous claims, it is already sold for the full asking price. Thanks for the many memories, and for being the first place/people to make us truly welcome in Ilkley.
…and also to Steps. I’ve never been a fan, but for the main man to lose his restaurant because a business ‘partner’ in another venture ran off with the cash, leaving both businesses broke, is, well, not very nice to say the least. The place has already been stripped, and is on the market for considerably less than the Tubster’s.
We know two young(ish) gentlemen who might hopefully be interested.
Must admit to enjoying the new speed thing on Bolling Road. Trying to pass it exactly at 30, or even crawl up from 25 to 30 as approaching it (and you have to make it check off each mph on the way) is a lot of fun. Indeed, watching it means youre almost certain to crash sooner or later.
The sheer thrill of doing 31 and being told by the flashing light you’re breaking the law! Sheer joy.
And thanks to the teachers at IGS for organising a Children in Need three-legged race funday. What I need on a driving lesson two weeks before a test is two hundred teenagers blocking off most of Brook Street as they cross and re-cross the bloody road.
And what I especially needed was the group of four nubile young things in French Maids’ uniforms. And, yes, with bloody garters. I knew they were only fourteen, but they didn’t look it from behind, okay? It’s not my fault, it’s this damn Y chromosome.
Walking up Parish Ghyll Road, the builders are working on the old nurses’ house opposite Moda in pelle (which has a sale on you’ll be surprised to know).
They’re transferring some concrete slabs from a lorry, so the road is blocked off. This requires two men in yellow jackets at the top and two at the bottom, with thermoses and sandwiches, just standing there and stopping traffic.
It’s a tough job.
Well, here we are again. Most of the posts (including those from the IACCTV blog) have come over. Most of the images haven’t. Indeed, given the way the image on the ‘stunning’ post now looks, I’m going to have to play around with that. Not sure how to make a thumbnail connect to the main image.
In the meantime, this is the last regrets WP theme, only using the header from one by northern web coders.
And, as I’ve just discovered, WordPress doesn’t like Opera anymore than Typepad used to do.
Sorry to say this blog won’t be updated that much. More time willbe spent over at Cynicalbastard
As most of you know, I’m not living in Ilkley during the week anymore, so it’s an absolute delight to come home. Potter onto the moor, look at the scenery. It’s a very beautiful place and you should all be very happy there.
In the serenissima, the serene republic of Venice, they had a policing system involving denunciation. Anyone (well, you had to be a citizen not a slave, but that sort of went with the ability to write) could denounce another citizen by dropping a letter into a mailbox shaped like a lions’ mouth. Plainly they had a lot of nutters who were probably ignored, but this system could lead to those denounced being spirited away in the middle of the night across the Bridge of Sighs and never heard from again.
It’s good, then, that the UK has decided to learn from this experience. INstead of paying policemen to get out on the beat, they’re to be encouraged to sit at their desks while anonymous tip-offs are delivered to them by mail and phone. These tip-offs will then be investigated. If you;re btohered by a group of youths on the street corner, phone it in (anonymously) and they’ll send someone round. If you don’t like the noise from a neighbour, mail it in and denounce them. It’ll give the Police something to do, and save them from having to solve actual crime. But what sort of society will it make us?
I can just think of one couple who will be making use of this privilege.
The authors/poets/cartoonists plugging their books at Ilkley Literature Festival have been announced. Starts with PD James, ends with Louis Theroux. In the middle there’s Maya Angelou, usual suspects like Joolz, and a writing class with Toby Litt who must be rated as one of our best under-40 novelists.
No Zadie. Thank you organisers. Stop a passing website (when it’s updated) and buy some tickets.
To the Bradford Council team that decided that the lights on Skipton Rd/Victoria Avenue were not bad enough, and that they should repair the road, shutting off one carriageway, in August at the height of the day-tripper season!
Well done those chaps. Tail-backs to Skipton. We had to circle from Bolton Abbey to Langbar and over the suspension bridge to get home. Some Leeds-ites (not knowing of these back routes) are probably still there.
Or at least it did on Tuesday. Someone had been muck-spreading and the pall hung over the whole side of the hill. Phew-wee. Must have been delightful for the residents.
On a less happy note, I see the Scantlebury shrine is once again home to a ton of rotting flowers. This is not a mediterrenean country, surely the place for flowers should be on a grave/tree planted in memory of, not left rotting by the roadside.
