COUNCIL bosses are planning a U-turn over cuts to Ilkley Literature Festival.

Bradford Council looks likely to reinstate the £11,000 annual funding in response to a major public campaign which attracted widespread support.

The axing of the funding had been agreed by councillors last year, when it set a two-year budget.

But as the cuts loomed, festival organisers and supporters started a major campaign against the decision.

The planned U-turn has been welcomed by local politicians, including Ilkley’s MP Kris Hopkins, who wrote to Council Leader David Green to state his opposition to the move and to make clear his view that the removal of the grant was part of an orchestrated campaign to redirect funding away from more affluent parts of the district.

Mr Hopkins said: “I will take nothing for granted until the final budget is approved but, if true, it is obviously very good news.

Continued on page two Continued from page one “I hope the decision is an indication that Bradford Council now understands the incredibly important part the festival plays, both culturally and economically, to the benefit of the entire district.

“I also trust it is an acceptance from Labour councillors that they cannot simply divert all available monies into areas they represent. My constituents pay more than their fair share of council tax. It is about time they got something back for it.”

John Grogan, who is standing as the Labour candidate for Ilkley in the general election said he had met Cllr Green twice over the past two weeks, when Cllr Green had agreed to restore the grant to the festival.

Mr Grogan said: “I think this sensible decision shows that Bradford Council does listen to well argued representations from Ilkley.

“The Ilkley Literature Festival Committee acknowledged in all their representations that Bradford Council faces massive cuts in Government funding.

“If I am elected in May I shall aim to get fairer funding for Bradford Council which in recent years has lost out to richer Southern councils which have been protected by the Government.”

Cllr Anne Hawkesworth (Ind, Ilkley) said: “I am extremely pleased that the Council’s grant is probably going to continue.

“Its importance is not the amount of money but the message it sends to the Art Council that the Council considers Ilkley Literature Festival is an important asset to the whole area.”

l Council bosses have also had a re-think on other cuts to culture and tourism services.

A £115,000 fund over three years will help festivals such as the Bradford Curry Festival to expand and attract funding from elsewhere, so they are not reliant on Council support.

A total of £125,000 will be set aside over three years for a visitor fund to support events not directly organised by Bradford Council.

The authority’s Labour group is also planning to cut the district’s tourism budget by £50,000 less than originally planned.

In total, it are planning to use nearly £16 million of reserves in 2015/16.