4 | council news
Joe Ashton joins the team
We’d like to welcome Joe Ashton who has joined Keighley Town Council as Deputy Town Clerk. Mr Ashton will be assisting the Town Clerk with general cover, the organisation of community events, administration of four committees and the management of the Mayor’s diary. Although he was born and bred in the Bradford district, Mr Ashton came to Keighley Town Council via South Yorkshire, Merseyside and North Yorkshire, where he first qualified as a town planner and then worked for two large local authorities in a variety of roles. Following several years as a community volunteer, Joe became a town councillor in 2008 and has since maintained an active interest in the parish sector.
Town Hall Square NEWS
KTC is continuing to take pride in the Town Hall Square. Hot on the heels of the Cenotaph cleaning last year, the Council is now making improvements to some of the benches in the square. This involves sanding and cleaning some of the benches before giving them a welcome coat of varnish when the weather improves. Meanwhile, the spring bedding which was planted by contractor Steve Thorpe in late autumn is starting to flower. We look forward to a riot of colour this spring!
What’s new at the allotments
Last year, we began improvement work at Guardhouse allotments and erected 200 meters of fencing at the site. The urban woodland adjacent to the allotment continues to grow nicely and is slowly starting to become a feature in its own right. We look forward to the trees growing at another good rate this summer. The Oakworth Sensory Garden continues to be maintained in the most part by the Haworth & Worth Valley Rotary Club. The club is always looking for more volunteers to come and work in the tranquil garden. To help with maintenance, KTC has agreed a budget to spend on the garden. KTCConnect | SPRING 2017
Keighley Armed Forces Day 2017
This year’s Keighley Armed Forces Day is once again looking like it will be a huge celebration for the town. Brought to you by Keighley Armed Forces Assistance in partnership with Keighley Town Council, the event will be held at Marley Fields on June 18 and will feature highlights from The Yorkshire Regiment and 116 Royal Military Police, the 16th Lancers mounted cavalry, and demos from re-enactment teams including the fantastic Haworth Home Guard. There will be a host of activities for all the family to enjoy including an airsoft shooting range, axe throwing, archery and children’s rides. We’ll be making sure it’s a day to remember, as well as a perfect opportunity to say a big thanks to the members of our armed forces who work tirelessly for our country. Without the assistance from Keighley Town Council, Keighley Armed Forces Day would not be the spectacle it is today and this is a great opportunity for Keighley residents to show their support.
Energy from waste facility The Town Council has been considering the proposed energy from waste facility (also known as the Aire Valley incinerator) and discussed it in detail at its Planning Committee meeting on December 20 2016. The full title of the proposal is: Development of two plants to recover energy from waste with materials reception, waste bunker hall, turbo generator hall, and bottom ash hall; plus, construction of an education/visitor centre, offices, workshop/warehouse for plant operatives, with parking and landscaping. After careful consideration, the Town Council’s Planning Committee recommended that Bradford Council refuse the application. On February 9 this year, the application was considered by Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee where the Chair of the Town Council’s Planning Committee, Councillor Ian Dermondy, spoke on behalf of the Town Council. After listening to the representations and debating the arguments for and against, Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee decided to grant planning permission, subject to conditions. This decision has now been delayed so that the Government can review the decision.