The New Millennium 3
The New Millennium 3
Wilsden Parish Council met for the first time on 21st June 2004. A report of its activities featured on the agenda of the WVS meeting in January 2005. It was given by Councillor Tony Caunt, who had been looking after WVS planning matters for the last few years. It was obvious from his report that the new body would be very adequately covering much that the society’s planning committee had been concerned with over the past three and a half decades – planning applications, police activity, traffic, transport, allotments and more. Although there seemed no sense in trying to duplicate roles, the future of the society continued to be explored.
Meanwhile the three ‘Welcome to Wilsden’ boundary stones had been carved and installed at a cost of £1,250. They stand in Haworth Road near the bottom of Back Lane, in Laneside between Wilsden and Harecroft and a short distance south of Harden Beck. This latter annoyed a few who regarded themselves as being in Harden, but the beck was and remains the civil boundary. The erection of these boundary markers led to the removal of the old metal road signs, which unfortunately led to the loss of the Eppeville twinning signs. The village society agreed to have these replaced with a design including the Union Flag and the French Triclour in the two top corners.
At the June 2005 AGM there was a report on the suggestion that WVS could become a charitable trust, making grants to organisations or groups who wished to promote the original objectives of the society. If pursued, that would most likely mean the transfer of responsibility for the squash club and its income to the village hall as bar profits were not viewed as a suitable main source of income for a charity. The society’s income would thus be limited to interest on its current balance and any future bequests or donations to such a trust. Some, particularly long-standing member Noel Bourke, queried why WVS should be wound up at all. In answer to the shortage of officers, Elaine Berry volunteered to be secretary, subject to a chairman and treasurer becoming available. Noel volunteered to be chairman and Peter Hopkinson continued as treasurer. So WVS continued for another year, during which such matters as the state of Main Street and car parking issues were raised with the parish council and feedback received.
An important planning matter in 2005 was the small housing development on the site of the former Brewers’ Arms public house and car park. The accepted plan had included an agreement that the original part of the pub should be kept and WVS members were dismayed to see it being demolished. The parish council investigated and learnt that the developers, Arncliffe Homes, had found it to be in a much worse state than they had expected. Their architect explained that the pub itself was not an original building but had been formed from three cottages. It is not clear why this was a surprise or an excuse. The origin of the pub was well known around the village and referred to in the 2001 publication ‘Wilsden’ by Astrid Hansen. Bradford planning and conservation officers supported the village and refused to change the planning permission to rebuild rather than refurbish. In the end, all that was achieved was that old stone was re-used for three walls, but there is no visible trace of pub or cottages at the resulting Bartle Court.
Jeff Moor left the village hall towards the end of 2005 and WVS contributed towards a leaving gift in appreciation of his management and development of the village hall.
