A HAWORTH councillor has blasted Labour-controlled Bradford Council’s spending priorities, accusing it of inflicting disproportionate cuts on areas that vote Conservative.

Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council vice-chairman, Angel Kershaw, said the parish is being “asset stripped” despite the district council having cash to build new swimming pools in Bradford.

“There is a misconception this area is wealthy, but we are not,” she said. “We have the lowest average wage in the whole of the Bradford area, and we have serious issues of rural poverty that have never been acknowledged or dealt with.”

But Bradford Council leader, Cllr David Green, pointed out Haworth parish had been represented by a Labour MP up until 2010.

“There are no politically-motivated cuts,” he added. “Bradford Council itself has been facing massive cuts ever since 2010. We’ve lost £165 million worth of funding and it’s inevitable the whole district will be affected.

“This is regrettably happening not just in Haworth but in inner city areas too.”

Cllr Kershaw’s argument was also opposed by one of her fellow parish councillors – Barry Thorne.

Cllr Thorne, who has been a Labour member for 45 years, said: “I think it’s unfortunate Bradford Council is being blamed for losing 40 per cent of its budget.

“Cuts throughout the district are no worse in the Worth Valley than anywhere else.”

Bradford Council announced last year that it was downgrading nine of its children’s centres, including Treetops in Haworth.

The future of the council-owned village community centre is under review, and Haworth has recently lost its fire station, though this facility is not controlled by Bradford Council.

Cllr Kershaw said: “For the past ten years, they haven’t maintained the community centre – they haven’t even cleaned the gutters.

“They are taking away what little facilities we have in the parish, and will leave us with nothing if they have their own way. But they’ve just announced they are building new swimming pools in Bradford.

“People here are frustrated and angry. They see this as being unfair, vindictive and politically-motivated because this is an area that doesn’t vote Labour.”

Cllr Green said: “I encourage Haworth councillors and Keighley News readers to respond to the ongoing [Bradford Council] consultation on the budget.

“And I ask people not just to state what they don’t like, but to come up with practical suggestions about looking differently at how we offer services.”