Wilsden Village Society History

Planning Committee 2

At the meeting there were criticisms of some individual points. For example, Would the proposed size limit of between 4000 and 5000 people be sufficient to support shops? What provision did the plan make for better facilities for retired people? What about traffic speeds in Main Street? However there was a unanimous vote that the plan should be accepted and submitted to the West Riding County Planning Authority. The society’s chairman, Maurice Calvert hoped that Wilsden’s achievement would be the forerunner of many schemes throughout the country. In August, thanks to financial contributions from Bingley UDC and Bradford Area Development Association, the plan was published as a glossy booklet with photographs and the full results of the village survey. It sold worldwide after favourable reviews in the architectural press. Purchasers included Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Vatican Library. After publication, there was work still to do, but eventually, with no significant alteration, West Riding County Council accepted the plan as a working planning brief. At the reorganisation of 1974, it was passed on to Bradford planners who were happy to take it into consideration as a useful framework within which to consider planning matters in Wilsden.

Looking at the village some four or five decades since this exercise, it is clear how much the plan influenced development.

Wilsden Parish Council produced a Neighbourhood Plan ready in draft form in 2017, which when finally approved by the majority of Wilsden and Harecroft residents should play its part in Bradford’s planning decisions.

One of the issues in the new (2018) Neighbourhood Plan is the conservation area and those areas of significant historical and environmental significance which lie outside its boundary.

The existence of a conservation area on which to base this work was due to another early project by the WVS planning committee. Members undertook a photographic survey of Wilsden to show that there was more of value than the named listed buildings. Wilsden had no designated conservation area at the time. The dossier produced was received with enthusiasm by Bradford Council’s conservation officer and in 1977 a Conservation Area was defined. This proved not as useful as it might have been, with instances of property owners doing the right thing, often at considerable expense, only to find paving stones outside their property removed and replaced with tarmac.

In the early days there were so many things going on at once, even within one committee, that it is difficult to record them chronologically.

By 1972, the Society was being taken seriously by the Local Authority and the Planning Committee was receiving copies of all full Bingley Council meetings.

In due course, after 1974, the chairman of planning made sure that Wilsden was on Bradford Metropolitan District Council’s list of sites for a Christmas tree and the society bought the necessary heavy duty cables and sockets and a supply of coloured bulbs. The tree was positioned at the Main Street edge of Wilsden Park and it was tiresome constantly having to replace bulbs as the ones within easy reach were removed or smashed. (The Parish Council, formed in 2004, experimented with a different site at St Matthew’s but after this tree blew down they changed to using strings of lights on various existing trees around the village.)

Wilsden was optimistically entered in Britain in Bloom once or twice, but received far less support from the Council than did the more touristy parts of the Metropolitan District. From 1977 to 1980, Main Street was in such a constant mess with road works, dug up by one Amenity after another, that the planning committee gave up and organised a local Best Kept Garden competition. This was successful and popular and was eventually taken over by the Gardening Association.

In 1972 a small group headed by Chris Moore and Gordon Bastow undertook to walk the many footpaths around the village, to report any obstructions and make sure the various rights of way were accessible. This led to the production in 1973 of a footpath map, based on the Ordnance Survey Map, with permission from H.M. Stationery Office. This proved popular and sold well at 10p. Inflation brought a later reprint up to £1.50, with 50p going to any local organisation who chose to sell the map and £1 to WVS funds. In 1996 WVS members Ted Howarth and Stan Clegg, with a group of volunteers, walked the paths again and reported obstructions to Bradford as well as contacting some landowners. There were improvements and Bradford Council erected signposts at some of the points where footpaths left or joined public roads. In 2004 the map was again reprinted, this time with accompanying text describing what could be seen and giving brief historical background. The Society had considered producing a proper Town Trail, and a group of members went to Heptonstall to try out theirs. When they discovered how much they were peering into occupied homes, they decided that something like this would not go down well in Wilsden.

A less successful venture was the attempt to convert Wilsden Beck into a trout stream. The clean-up was definitely worthwhile, removing agriculrural and industrial debris as well as general litter, making the beck an attractive feature where it appears briefly alongside Main Street and where it is visible from footpaths and gardens. Batches of young fish were introduced on at least two occasions, but were never seen again. It was concluded that the Society was either providing good fishing in Harden Beck or feeding the local herons.

The planning committee also involved the society in some specific planning applications.

In keeping with their desire to maintain the character of the central area they turned their attention to Albert, Wellington, Victoria and Queen Streets. This area was to be considered for clearance within the year by Bingley UDC. Counc. Tyler had produced a paper for Bingley Council ‘Wilsden Housing Problems – Clearance or Improvement?’ in 1969. Between 1959 and 1969, 91 properties in Wilsden had been scheduled for clearance. This had been completed for 37 properties and was underway for others. For rehousing, 67 new houses and bungalows had been built in West Royd, Royd Street and Roydwood Terrace. A survey of occupiers, mainly owners, in the areas now under consideration, had come down clearly in favour of improvement rather than clearance. Many had made considerable improvements at their own expense and others were willing to do so if the threat of demolition were to be lifted. Although the houses had been built as back to backs, 25% had already been converted to through houses. The Village Society arranged a public meeting at which Mr. Goldring of the Department of the Environment would speak on the pros and cons of improvement areas. Specific invitations were sent to residents of the streets under consideration. Disappointing support for this meeting led to a much more pro-active approach when clearance of Club Row was threatened in 1973. However, the addition of the Society’s voice did delay Bingley’s decision and after 1974 the new Bradford Metropolitan District Council was much more sympathetic towards conservation and improvement. The four streets were reprieved, and individual householders were able to get grants, although no overall improvement scheme was organised. The four streets are now within the consevation area.

Club Row is a terrace of cottages built on the ‘building club’ principle and as such of importance to the village both for its appearance and its history. In 1973 the property was under threat of demolition from Bingley Council, even though the cottages were generally in good repair and some had been modernised. The residents were asked if they would like help in trying to save the property. WVS would provide and pay for the necessary technological expertise. Dr Verner Wheelock and a team from Bradford University produced a study of what could be done to each property to bring it up to modern standards at the least cost to the occupants and without changing the exterior appearance. In October 1973 Bingley Council removed Club Row from its demolition list. This was a significant early success for the society, showing that they could combine local knowledge and an understanding of local government procedures for local benefit.

At Garden View in Main Street, a block of three-storied weavers’ cottages were condemned by Bingley Council. In 1974 the new Bradford Metropolitan District Council was less keen to demolish if there was the chance of restoration and these houses were saved.