A STORM of protest from Keighley politicians has greeted council plans for a multi-million-pound spending boost for Bradford city centre.

They are angry that so much cash can be found for city centre residents and businesses while outlying areas like Keighley, Silsden and the Worth Valley suffer the effects of austerity.

In comparison with the £60 million of council spending earmarked for Bradford city centre, central Keighley is in line for around £6 million of direct council investment while surrounding villages are being stripped of council-run services like libraries, community buildings and toilets.

The protests came this week as the council’s ruling Executive discussed a shopping list of measures aimed at attracting ‘urban entrepreneurs’ to the city centre.

This included £9.4 million to relocate the market, £8.9 million to renovate St George’s Concert Hall, £25.3 million for the new 1 City Park office block, £3 million to regenerate the ‘Top of Town’ shopping area, and a £12 million loan to a company hoping to reopen the former Odeon as an entertainment venue.

In Keighley the council has paid £1 million towards the Cliffe Castle Park improvements and about £1 million for town centre traffic improvements, and earmarked £430,000 to demolish the former Keighley College building on Cavendish Street and £3.4 million towards the planned public services ‘one-stop shop’ on North Street.

A report to the Executive, stated that Bradford city centre, with a growing population of 530,000, needs investment to become a “liveable, vibrant and attractive” place to encourage businesses and talent in growth areas such as retail, business services, digital and creative industries.

They said: “It is the place where investment activity can combine collectively to maximum benefit. It is home to over 2000 businesses that support 22 per cent of jobs, generating 31 per cent of the district’s Gross Added Value.”

Leading the objections was Craven ward councillor Adrian Naylor, who pointed out the report’s figures showed that almost four out of five jobs were actually outside the city centre.

He said: “It seems logical you would put the money where you would have the most impact. What is being done to generate jobs in those outlying areas like Keighley and Silsden?

“Surely we should spend more money there, because that’s where the need is for development and that’s where people are moving into new housing.”

Worth Valley ward councillor Rebecca Poulsen was angry about city centre investment while Haworth like public toilets, community centre and Visitor Information Centre were being “decimated”.

She said: “It isn’t that we’re asking unrealistic things in the Worth Valley. We’re the main tourist destination in the district.

“Tourism is a growing industry, and there are no basic facilities like toilets for the visitors. There are a lot of people here who rely on tourism to make a living.”

Fellow Worth Valley ward councillor Glen Miller said he had campaigned for 20 years with little success to bring Bradford Council resources to the Worth Valley.

He added: “Outlying areas of Oxenhope, Silsden, Haworth, Ilkley, appear to be the poor dependents with their hands out asking, ‘please can we have some more?’.”

Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, the council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, responded:

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning & Transport, said: “This week's report was specifically about regeneration in Bradford city centre and the Odeon project in particular.

"Last month we took a report about regeneration in Keighley to the regeneration and economy scrutiny meeting at Keighley Town Hall. As a public meeting, all councillors were able to attend that meeting.

“If this week's report had been a more general one about regeneration across the district as a whole then Keighley would have featured heavily, given all the schemes we are helping to deliver in the town.

"Just recently we have delivered the brilliant refurbishment of Cliffe Castle museum and park, there is the major investment at Hard Ings in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and also the significant works to ease town centre congestion which have been praised by local people and businesses.

"As a council we will continue to invest in all our communities and support residents and business throughout the district.”

“If this week’s report had been a more general one about regeneration across the district as a whole then Keighley would have featured heavily, given all the schemes we are helping to deliver in the town.

“Just recently we have delivered the brilliant refurbishment of Cliffe Castle museum and park, there is the major investment at Hard Ings in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and also the significant works to ease town centre congestion which have been praised by local people and businesses.

“As a council we will continue to invest in all our communities and support residents and business throughout the district.”