A PROPOSAL to hold a new festival in Keighley designed to bring together people from all communities has won support from councillors.

The idea was put forward at a Keighley Town Council meeting by Cllrs Anayat Mohammad and Julie Adams.

Cllr Mohammad said members of the public responding to a Bradford Council consultation had said they felt Keighley was a segregated place.

“They said there’s division and that people aren’t mixing with each other,” he added.

He also cited the 2016 findings of research by think tank the Policy Exchange, which ranked Keighley as one of the most segregated places in the country.

“We need to create opportunities for communities in Keighley to mix and come together, which is why we’ve had this idea for a festival,” he said.

Cllr Adams said: “It would be nice if Keighley Town Council could be involved, but this is something we’d want to try and get everyone involved in.”

Cllr Amjid Ahmed pointed out there are already inclusive public events being staged in Keighley, noting the previous success of Eid celebrations in the town centre which invited people from all backgrounds to take part.

Events and Leisure Committee chairman, Cllr Kaneez Akthar said her committee had been discussing the prospect of staging such an integration event for about 18 months.

Cllr Michael Westerman responded that even if this concept had been “in the pipeline” for 18 months it was not the same as taking action to make it happen.

Cllr Mohammed stressed the latest festival proposal was not meant as a criticism of any other councillor’s efforts.

Cllr Barry Thorne said: “If we think it’s a good idea, we should just say ‘yes’ and get behind it as a council.”

Cllr Mohammed Nazam said any new initiative to combat segregation in the town shouldn’t be restricted to just one festival.

In a subsequent vote the town council voted overwhelmingly in favour of Cllr Mohammad’s and Cllr Adams’ proposal.