A PLAN to enable Keighley Town Council to take over the running of a rundown chapel in Utley Cemetery has been dropped.

Councillors at their monthly meeting last Thursday (April 9) accepted a proposal not to go ahead with assuming the management of the disused property.

Councillor John Kirby, who put forward the proposal, said parts of the chapel were in such bad condition that people walking near it should consider wearing a hard hat.

"In my view it would cost the taxpayer of Keighley a lot of money to put right, and we haven't got those funds," he said.

"Bradford Council can do it themselves. They are quick to spend money in Bradford, let them spend it in Keighley.

"We're not against the idea of taking over the chapel, but we can't take on something that would cost the taxpayer thousands and thousands.

"We'd be happy to take it if Bradford gave us a commitment that they would first make it water tight and put it in good order.

"But we can't take it over in the state it is now."

He was seconded by cllr Geraldine Stack, who said: "We've already spent enough money on other things. This is a project that should not have got off the ground."

Cllr Sally Walker stressed that the idea to take on the chapel had not been suggested without lengthy discussion and consideration.

"It was actually the general public who asked us if could help maintain this property," she said.

"We've been discussing the issue in allotment and landscape committee meetings over a year-long period. We didn't just think willy-nilly that we'd go and buy this building."

Cllr Michael Westerman said he agreed that the council should not take ownership of the chapel.

But he recommended writing to Bradford Council to emphasise the importance of maintaining the property, to stop its condition deteriorating further.

Cllr Ron Beale said: "We've even less money than Bradford Council, and that cemetery is run by Bradford.

"We're already losing £200,000 a year on the Keighley Civic Centre, so what is the point of putting more money into another building?"

Backing for the idea of taking on the neglected chapel building, first made public late last year, drew condemnation from the then Keighley MP Kris Hopkins.

He said the council was failing to learn lessons from its troubled civic centre venture.

However, allotments and landscapes committee chairman cllr Brian Morris, speaking after last Thursday's meeting said the town council had made a bad decision.

"It's been made before we had a chance to look into this properly," he said.

"We wanted to look at the finances of it and see if we could qualify for Heritage funding for the work that needs doing.

"This chapel is part of the heritage of Keighley, and it's been there before a lot of the town was even built."

Utley Cemetery Friends group chairman Kathrine Roberts, who is also a Keighley town councillor, declined to comment on the issue.