13. The 1980s
The 1980s
In
1984 news came of a possible alternative to the village society when
Bradford Council began investigating whether new parish councils should
be created before making its recommendations to the Boundary Commission
in spring 1985. On October 8th WVS called a public meeting in the
village hall to gauge the mood of the village. The consensus was that
the village society was doing a better job than some existing parish
councils and there was nothing to be gained by a change. The issue was
to come up again more than once, but not for many years.
1985
saw a dramatic change to the appearance of Main Street when the old
co-op building was demolished. This move was strongly opposed by the
Victorian Society but WVS had earlier accepted that the Co-operative
Society needed the freedom to demolish if they were to provide a new
store. A modern shopping facility was essential to the survival of
Wilsden as a living community rather than a dormitory village. The new
store in Royd Street was already in use and the Co-op now wanted to get
on clearing the area alongside to provide a car park. WVS only asked
that some of the elaborate stonework, particularly the ornate beehive
crest, the old trademark of the Co-operative Societies, should be
preserved. Perhaps it could be incorpo. rated into a wall of the car
park?
The
Co-op took the request on board in a big way. The 7ft by 5ft crest soon
formed much of the back wall of a magnificant new bus shelter built
from some of the stone of the old building including the fine window
arches.
The
most important planning issue in the 1980s was the attempt by Bradford
Council to sell a portion of the recreation ground to a developer. This
land was left to the people of Wilsden for recreational purposes in 1928
by Maud Brigg, to be held in trust by Bingley Council, an obligation
inherited by Bradford Council as successor body. The village society and
village hall management committee joined forces to object to the sale. A
letter to the development services committee warns that if the sale
continues, the floodgates will be opened for hundreds of acres all over
Bradford, which over the years have been gifted to communities, to be
sold without a “by your leave” from people who were intended to benefit
from the bequests. The final decision was due to be taken at a meeting
on December 15th 1988. The item was withdrawn when WVS chairman John
Coupe informed the Council, through the WVS solicitor, that the society
would seek a High Court injunction to stop the sale. This could cost the
society up to £4000. Village society members then delivered leaflets to
more than 1500 homes, announcing a public meeting on January 30th. An
estimated 400 people, including all three ward councillors, crowded into
the village hall. Neither the councillors nor any other local people or
their representatives had been consulted about the sale. The mood of
the meeting was very clear and the councillors pledged their support. At
a February meeting, Bradford Council made the decision not to sell and
the developers, Proctor Brothers, said they would not be appealing
against the decision.
However
by the end of 1989 they put in another application for a housing
development off Firth Lane, at which the old question of the listed
walled footpaths re-appeared. Applications, refusals and appeals
continued. An article in the local press in November 1990 stated that
there had been 11 such applications from builders over the last 18
years. This time a spokesman for the Department of the Environment said
“Officers decided to uphold the original listed status of the walls and I
cannot imagine that being changed in the future.”
[In
2018 they remain secure in the updated conservation area and schedule
of listings produced in connection with Wilsden Parish Council’s
Neighbourhood Plan, but there is never cause for complacency in such
matters.]
As
well as hopefully settling the future of the green space west of Main
Street, and the historic paths, the society opposed an application to
demolish the 19th century Rose Cottage Farm on Main Street, within the
conservation area, and replace it with eight new dwellings. That
application was allowed, but fortunately for the appearance of the
village, no work took place and the planning permission lapsed. In 1996,
when it was being reconsidered, Government guidelines and legislation
had changed and Bradford council, supported by its own conservation
officials, recommended refusing permission. The farm house and
outbuildings were subsequently sensitively renovated and the paddock in
front of the house retained. The society continued to monitor planning
applications throughout the village but never had a policy of opposing
all development and accepted or indeed actively supported more
appropriate schemes, particularly if they corresponded to land use
proposed in the original Plan for Wilsden.
During
this time the village society and the gardening association joined
forces to subsidise the cost of hanging baskets for individuals to buy
and display and members of both organisations worked to enhance the
Crack Lane green space with a rockery. A proposal to set up a
professional war games site using paintball guns on Bilberry Bank was
turned down by Bradford Council after more than a year of attempts to
get permission. Objections were lodged by Wilsden Village Society,
Harden Village Society and Bingley Civic Trust, as well as by local
people who used the rights of way in that area and those whose gardens
were separated from the ‘war zone’ only by Wilsden Beck.
One of the WVS founder members once gave his opinion that the natural lifespan of such an organisation was about ten years.
This society had continued, with some high points and low, but generally maintaining its momentum for 24 years. During that time it had a steady succession of 15 chairmen, as listed in the appendix.