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 The item was withdrawn when WVS chairman John Coupe informed the Council, through the WVS solicitor, that the society would seek a High Court injunction to stop the sale.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.
