THOUSANDS of pounds of ward councillors’ money is to be spent on improvements to central Ilkley shopping street The Grove.

Two of Ilkley’s ward councillors met with council officers last week and are now awaiting costings for work to improve the appearance of the street. Two trees on the street recently felled by Bradford Council – which led to complaints from members of the public and criticism from Ilkley parish councillors – are also expected to be replaced.

Cllr Martin Smith (Con, Ilkley) and Cllr Anne Hawkesworth (Ind, Ilkley) met with Bradford Council’s Keighley Area Coordinator last week to discuss the work.

Cllr Mike Gibbons (Con, Ilkley) is also said to be supporting work in the town centre, which includes moving a sign post in Brook Street.

Money will come from a £9,000 joint ward councillors’ funding pot, but the councillors are awaiting the final costings before placing the order for the work.

Cllr Smith said the work planned includes repainting about 39 bollards in The Grove, repainting three litter bin, and repainting lamp posts in The Grove.

Hoardings will not be allowed to be chained to lamp posts in future.

Plans include providing a bollard on the south side of The Grove, which can be dropped, to stop vehicles mounting the dropped kerb area and damaging stone paving around a yew tree.

Councillors’ funding has been earmarked for a contribution to repairing damaged stone paving in this area.

The overhaul of The Grove will also include checking underground utilities to ensure the two trees removed can be replaced.

Another two trees on the street, which are said to be causing the footpath to raise at the junction of The Grove and Riddings Road, are set to be removed and replaced, with repair work being done to the footpath.

There are plans to reposition a finger post from the Brook Street flowerbed closer to the crossing at the top of Brook Street.

Concerned members of the public contacted the Gazette when the two trees were removed by the council, and members of Ilkley Parish Council asked that they be informed in future before Bradford cuts down trees in the town centre position.