COUNCILLORS in Ilkley have agreed to pay thousands of pounds to help fund the area’s Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Burley-in-Wharfedale Parish Council has been running the scheme for Wharfedale after Bradford Council was no longer able to fund it.

Now it is asking other local councils to make a one-off contribution for the cost of providing the service, based on the number of young people taking part from each area.

Burley councillor Bernard Poulter told a meeting of Ilkley Parish Council there was a deficit of £18,950 - or £185 for each of the 102 local young people currently taking part in the scheme. Forty of those are from the Ilkley area.

Ilkley Council has agreed to pay £7,400 to cover its share.

Coun Poulter told members the amount requested was a single one-off payment and that the scheme would be self financing from next year.

“We would be more than happy to allow you to contribute towards your young people’s participation,” he said.

Menston Parish Council has already agreed to make a one-off payment.

The funding will help meet expenditure such as staff salary, minibus hire and venue hire.