Welcome to the Autumn 2011 edition of the Airedale Partnership e-bulletin

Keighley Townscape Heritage Initiative

Work to bring out the hidden beauty of ’s architecture will start very soon.

The Keighley Townscape Heritage Initiative is a £2.7million grant scheme supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Council to help building owners repair and improve their properties. The fund is being used for improvements to historic buildings within areas of North Street, Church Street, Bridge Street, High Street and Low Street. Most of these buildings are shops with either offices or flats above.

Over the next four years the project will support a programme of repair and restoration including re-roofing, restoration of sash windows and re- instating historic shop fronts. Between 70 and 75% of the building costs will be available through the grant scheme, with the property owners paying the balance. Traditional building techniques will be used, and local contractors with traditional building skills will be able to tender for individual projects.

Where buildings are vacant, the grant rate will be worked out on a case by case basis and will include internal renovation works to commercial and residential floor space as well as heritage works. We would welcome proposals from private sector owners who wish to give their properties a lift in terms of both heritage and commercial features.

The pavements along North Street will also be re-laid with York stone paving.

Alongside the building works, a number of complementary initiatives will go ahead over the next four years. These include heritage training, community activities and craft demonstrations, which will all increase public awareness and enthusiasm for heritage and the local area, and will help people how to look after historic buildings.

Sue Oakley, the Townscape Heritage Initiative Officer, said ‘The property owners are very interested in the scheme and I expect the first project to start in September. Townscape Heritage Initiatives are difficult to come by so the people of Keighley are very fortunate and must take advantage of the opportunity.’

If you are interested in the scheme, or you are a contractor who wishes to be included on the specialist contractor list, please contact Sue Oakley on 01274 437495 or [email protected].

Planning application for East Parade submitted by Stainsby Grange

A major planning proposal has been submitted for the East Parade area of Keighley at the end of October. This is an application for a major retail development in Keighley Town centre.

A series of exhibition days have demonstrated what is intended for the site.

If approved, the “Worth Valley Shopping Centre” would be scheduled to open in 2014. It is intended to attract shoppers along East Parade making a shopping area of Cavendish Street, the Airedale Centre and East Parade.

An application to demolish buildings on Deal Street and Low St. Mills Keighley is now approved.

Sainsbury’s supermarket in

Bradford & Bingley Building Society’s former headquarters in the centre of Bingley will be demolished to accommodate a multi-million pound Sainsbury’s supermarket.

At the Shipley Area Planning Panel on Sept 8th it was resolved to grant planning permission for a two-storey store with underground car parking in Main Street Bingley subject to the signing of a legal agreement. The 40,000 sq ft store is expected to create 250 jobs (83 full time and 167 part time).

Demolition of Harold Town Building has started

Following completion and opening, last autumn, of the new Leeds City College Campus building on Dalton Lane Keighley, the Council has moved to dispose of the redundant Harold Town Building on Chesham St. Keighley. The Council took ownership of the building as part of the land assembly for the building of the new college campus.

Demolition will remove the building, which had no viable future use, and create a site for future development. The demolition contract is expected to be completed by March 2012.

Shipley Focus’d – new exhibition Shipley Focus’d provides a prominent and attractive feature in Shipley Town centre, re-using the corner retail site between Wellcroft and Shipley Market Square.

The penultimate exhibition of 2011 is called "The Light Collectors' who are a group of ten photographers who got together whilst studying at Bradford Photography College. Post-graduation, they continued their association and are presenting a self-titled showcase of their work within the town centre gallery.

The eclectic exhibition features a wide range of styles and subject matter - including sport, nature, portraiture & documentary - offering something to suit all tastes. John Lambert, Director of Shipley Focus'd said, "A solo exhibition by one of The Light Collectors that we hosted in October was brilliantly received, so we are excited to be able to share the work of this inspiring collective of local photographers over the next fortnight"

Entrance is free, and the exhibition is open from 10.30am to 4.30pm on Thursdays and 10am to 4.30pm on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays until Thursday 17th November.

Central Hall is filling up quick!

In the Spring e-bulletin, we covered the launch of Central Hall - the new home for Keighley and Ilkley Community Action (KIVCA) in central Keighley Only one of Central Hall's six business offices is still available. Three of the other units are occupied by Confianza, which specialises in work- related training for people with specific needs and abilities. South Asian theatre company Arakan Creative has taken another, and Mothers and Pregnancy Support Service also has office space.

The Chamber of Commerce held its regular Keighley business breakfast in Healey Hall (Central Hall’s large multi-purpose space) on Wednesday 17th August.

Companies wanting to visit the building to see the facilities available for conferences and training sessions should call development manager Matt Blackmore on (01535) 612500. The gallery meeting rooms are also available for selection and recruitment processes and small business meetings. For more information visit http://www.central-hall.com/ roomhire.html

Central Hall is a flagship asset transfer project on Alice St. in central Keighley. The Council and KIVCA worked together using Lottery, ERDF and LEGI funds to revive this building.

Sustainable Urban Fringe conference in the last week of June 2011

Bradford hosted the mid-term conference as part of this trans-national research project into how communities on the fringe of urban areas best connect with the wider life of the urban core. The project is supported by European funds under Interreg IVB and includes UK cities Aberdeen, Kings Lynn, Bradford and Leeds and EU partners in East & West Flanders Belgium, Sweden’s, The Netherlands and Germany. The Worth Valley Ward was represented at the conference along with local steering group members. The project concludes in mid 2012 and this final year will concentrate on production of a toolkit of information, guidance and findings that can be used across the EU.

Bradford was invited to participate in this project following its award of Beacon status for empowering communities and developing rural services.

Keighley Active Citizens’ Day, Friday 19 August 2011

The event was organised by Keighley Area Committee & Area Co-ordinator’s office, supported by Keighley Town Centre Association.

Over 2000 people attended the event in the Airedale Shopping Centre.

The footfall in the Airedale Shopping Centre was up 3,000 on the day from the same day 2010.

The event was supported by approximately 50 organisations Pulse Radio was in the Airedale Shopping Centre – organised by Keighley Town Centre Association and featured local businesses throughout the day – KTCA members Clockwork Eye Productions filmed the events of the day and produced a DVD, again organised by KTCA Contact Keighley Town Centre Association: Philip Smith 01535 618095 [email protected] The organisation/poster competition supported by: Keighley Area Committee

• 1st Prize - Temple Row Centre £500

• Runner up prize to Inspire Youth £250

• Runner up prize Haworth Cats Protection League £250

The Keighley News Advert Prize worth £384 +vat 1/4 page coloured advert in the Keighley News was won by Eastburn Fitness

Hi Tec Prizes donated by Local Firm Computer Gentle, Mr Rukun Ahmed went to: • Jam on Top

• Michael Jackson Impressionist - Duane

• Asian Arts Alive for their dancers

Bingley Live 2nd to 4th Sept 2011 – Myrtle Park

45,000 people attended the event over the weekend to see top acts such as Chase and Status, Maximo Park, Fun Lovin'Criminals, Feeder, The Coral and Eliza Doolittle. It was the first time in it's 5 year history that the festival sold out with all tickets being snapped up one week in advance of the event.

British Science Week

As part of the overall programme of events during British Science week, which Bradford District hosted, the Airedale Partnership worked with other organisations to contribute a to some public events.

A taste of what a FabLab (Fabrication Laboratory) can offer was provided through the hire of a mobile van that was available throughout the week. A FabLab is a facility that allows almost anything to be made using innovative technological advances. Attractions involving Leeds City College’s Star Centre, “smoothie”-making powered by pedalling volunteers, face painting and tee-shirt printing added to the manufacture of theremin kits in a varied programme that attracted families from far and wide. The Airedale Partnership is part of Bradford Council's Department of Regeneration The Airedale Partnership, 68b North St, Keighley, BD21 3RY

Bradford Council, City Hall, Bradford, BD1 1HY