Visitor Centre Consultation

Bradford Tourism Consultation Bradford is conducting a review of its Visitor Information Centres. It commissioned a report from Team Tourism Consulting. A cynic, reading the report, might suppose that the review had been commissioned to arrive at a predetermined outcome. The review can be found at: bradford.moderngov.co.uk

There are currently four Visitor Information Centres (VICs) in Bradford: Ilkley, Haworth Saltaire and Bradford City Centre. The review considers four Options:

1. : Keep 2 VICs (Bradford and Haworth)
2. : Keep Haworth VIC Option
3. : Keep Bradford VIC
4. : Close all VICs

Members will note that none of these Options includes the retention of Ilkley VIC. This is despite the fact that Ilkley VIC is the cheapest to run and has more visitors than any other VIC in the Bradford area. Clearly the backdrop to this consultation is the reduction in local authority funding being imposed by central government, and the necessity for the Council to save money. But for the moment FoIM is concerned about the effect that the closure of Ilkley VIC will have on the economy of the town and on visitors to the Moor. Thus we have submitted a response to the consultation (see below).

Meanwhile we would urge all our members to read the Tourism Review and to submit their own responses. A large number of responses may yet save Ilkley VIC. Members can email their comments to: tourism.review@bradford.gov.uk

Friends of Ilkley Moor Response

We note that Ilkley Visitor Information Centre is the most used and the cheapest to run, of all Bradford’s VICs.

We note that there is an assertion, not backed by any independent evidence, that a large proportion of those visitors to the Ilkley VIC are local residents, going to buy tickets for events. We note that no attempt appears to have been made to quantify the number of local.

residents, as opposed from out-of-town tourists visiting Ilkley VIC. We also note that one reason for this assertion is that the numbers visiting Ilkley VIC are less seasonal than visitors to the other VICs.

We would suggest there is an alternative explanation for this lack of seasonality.

Ilkley Moor is one of the foremost (if not the foremost) visitor attractions in Bradford. We would suggest that Ilkley Moor is an all seasons attraction. We know, from the many 1000s of our walks leaflets, distributed to visitors, by the Ilkley VIC that Ilkley Moor is a prime reason for people to visit Ilkley and an important reason why they visit the Ilkley VIC. We do not believe that any large proportion of visitors to Ilkley Moor will be travelling via Bradford City Centre or will call at the Bradford VIC.

We know, from the dire economic consequences to businesses in Ilkley when the Moor was closed during the foot and mouth epidemic, that Ilkley Moor is a vital component of Ilkley’s prosperity and thus of income, in the form of business rates, to Bradford MDC. Thus anything that diminishes tourist interest in Ilkley Moor will harm both Ilkley and Bradford.

We note that there is an assertion in Option 1. “The rationale behind this is that Haworth is the most important VIC in terms of the numbers of tourists it serves.” We feel that such an assertion, not based on any quantitative evidence is worthless.

We note that in Option 3 is predicated on the need “to tell the Bradford story, and generate local pride and a strong sense of the City’s heritage.” If this means a concentration on Bradford’s urban history as a great mercantile centre then it will ignore two of the most important tourist destinations in Bradford MDC. When the Brontes lived at Haworth, they certainly did not see themselves as living in Bradford, nor did the 19th Century ramblers coming to the Wharfe valley consider it to be part of the city of Bradford. Thus the term ‘city heritage’ seems unfortunate and needs specific amendment.

Overall we feel that the document is lacking in rigour. There seems to have been no objective attempt to measure the tourist (as opposed to local resident) visitors to Ilkley VICs. Thus it is the view of the Friends of Ilkley Moor, that this consultation document provides an inadequate basis for decision making and that, instead, there should be recognition that Ilkley VIC is the most visited and cheapest VIC in the Bradford area. Contrary to the assertion that it is tucked away, out of sight; it is almost exactly opposite the railway and bus station, by which many visitors arrive. Additionally, the fact that it generates a substantial income for the Kings Hall (another Bradford resource) by ticket sales, should be an additional reason for keeping it open.

We do not know how much money Bradford spent on obtaining a report from TEAM Tourism Consulting, but judging by the paucity of objective data, it seems unlikely to have been money well spent.

Secretary

Potential Secretaries for FoIM seem to be rather like London buses. None for ages then two appear at the same time. We have been absolutely delighted by the response to our cri de coeur. Two very able persons volunteered and we are hoping that both will be able to join our committee as new, enthusiastic members are always welcome (any committee needs revitalising with new blood from time to time) and we are delighted to welcome Jonathan Guest as our new Secretary.

Mountain Biking

Concern has been raised about the activities of mountain bikers on the Moor. There was a specific problem of mountain bikers creating a route, with jumps, in the wood above Willy Hall’s Spout. Your volunteers have gone and filled in this path and levelled the jumps (and taken away a spade and a pickaxe that we found in the wood). More importantly we put up notices pointing out that the wood is part of an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), that it contains a carved rock that is a scheduled ancient monument, and that damage to vegetation on an SSSI and damage to scheduled ancient monuments is a criminal offence. We hope this will have dealt with this problem.

Another specific concern has been the danger to walkers caused by a very fast downhill run used by mountain bikers coming off the Moor (from the Badger Stone to Spicey Gill). We attempted to deal with this issue by creating a chicane to slow bikers. This was unsuccessful as the chicane was dismantled. So we have embarked on a different course by trying to enter into a constructive dialogue, with a group of responsible mountain bikers, to get them to take responsibility for designing measures to slow bikers on that descent (and to help in other problem areas).

Whenever there is a problem on the Moor, the common response of many people is to call for a ban. Your committee has considered this, but we think it would be a mistake (at this stage) for two reasons. Firstly, the Moor was bought by Ilkley Town Council for public recreation and mountain biking can be considered as merely a modern manifestation of public recreation. Secondly (and perhaps more importantly) a ban is likely to be completely unenforceable. Thus a ban might reduce the amount of mountain biking, but would certainly not stop it. So, for the moment, we are keen to try the policy of constructive engagement. We shall keep you fully informed as to the outcome.

Owen Wells, Chair, Friends of Ilkley Moor 23 Eaton Road, Ilkley LS29 9PU 01943 605440 o.r.wells@gmail.com