Keighley tip saved from closure

Widespread anger was sparked when Bradford Council announced plans to shut the household waste recycling centre, in Royd Ings Avenue, as part of its budget proposals.

More than 800 responses were received regarding the plan during the budget public consultation period.

And a petition opposing the move, containing thousands of names, was submitted.

It was feared the plan could lead to a surge in fly-tipping across the area, plus road safety issues at other sites due to increased usage.

Council officers were tasked with looking at alternative ways of saving funds.

Today it was confirmed the proposal had been dropped.

In a joint statement, Keighley Labour councillors said: "This is a victory for the people of Keighley. They – and we – put the case across powerfully. We are grateful to everyone who got in touch with us about this issue, and thanks to Councillor Sarah Ferriby and our Labour colleagues we are now able to keep this much-needed facility open for residents."

Cllr Ferriby, the councillor responsible for waste services, said: "I want to thank Keighley Labour councillors for all the work they have done raising awareness of the budget consultation and for working with me across several meetings to arrive at the great result. Thank you to the people of Keighley for responding to the council’s consultation so that your voice was heard. We are living in very difficult times, the cost-of-living crisis is meaning it’s increasingly hard for all local authorities to keep frontline services going after 12 years of Government cuts. As we have seen with this issue, people depend on locally-run services. I just hope Government listen when they pass their budget in March and award more funding for these valued local services."

Keighley Conservative MP Robbie Moore says: "This screeching U-turn from Bradford Council is a victory for the residents of Keighley and my thanks go to each and every one of the 7,311 residents who took time to sign our petition to 'Save the Tip', which I had the honour to present to Parliament last month.

"A huge thank you to community champion Laura Kelly, Councillor Martin Crangle and most importantly everyone who took time to sign this petition – this is community spirit in action.

"But let’s be absolutely clear here. Labour-run Bradford Council’s handling of the situation throughout has been a total and utter fiasco, and this U-turn need not have happened had the council listened to the people of Keighley from day one.

"It is absolutely laughable to see Labour councillors and even the town's former MP trying to take credit for putting out a fire that they started in the first place."

Keighley's Labour parliamentary candidate John Grogan says: "This is a Valentine's week victory for all of Keighley based, like many good political decisions, on compromise. Bradford Council's waste budget is still being cut but the savings are being shared across the city and Keighley’s tip stays open. I hope that before too long we will have a Government that properly funds local councils so that some vital public services can be sensibly expanded rather than cut to the bone."

Keighley's town mayor, Councillor Luke Maunsell, says he's delighted that "reason and logic has won out".

He added: "The considerable public outcry to the initial proposal was unlike anything I have ever seen before. The town was vehemently opposed, as was I and the town council, to any suggestion of the tip's closure and it is fantastic news that its immediate future is secure.

"Going forward, I hope clear plans are outlined to ensure its longevity and I know that the town council would be keen to offer its assistance and views on this."

Councillor Rebecca Poulsen, the Conservative group leader on Bradford Council, says: "My colleagues and I are delighted that today’s publication of the agenda papers for the next meeting of the council’s executive committee confirms that the Keighley waste recycling centre will remain open subject to agreement at the council’s budget meeting on February 23.

"This valuable community resource has been saved by the residents of Keighley and surrounding villages and they have every right to be pleased with their achievement. It just shows that people power can occasionally force the council to retain the frontline services which are much valued by local people. 

"Whilst the actions of Labour councillors at the most recent meeting of the executive committee left us with little doubt that the battle had been won, it was still reassuring to see in writing that the centre would be retained.

"The Conservative group would like to thank everyone across Keighley for their efforts in getting the Labour executive to U-turn on the closure that they had proposed."