Yorkshire’s very own ‘Brexit’ as towns demand breakaway referendum – Yorkshire Live

Forget Brexit. People in two areas of West Yorkshire are calling for a referendum of their own and have backed plans to form a brand new council.

Residents in Keighley say they feel ignored by Bradford Council and are supporting proposals by Robbie Moore MP to form a breakaway local authority.

"Bradford Council is too concerned about what the city centre looks like and what it attracts into Bradford," says Marcus Stanford, who runs Rossi's cafe on Cavendish Street.

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"Little places like Keighley do get overlooked.

"We need somebody to take charge and say: Im working for Keighley."

Mr Moore, the Conservative MP for Keighley, has teamed up with neighbouring Shipley MP Philip Davies to put forward plans to form a brand new council covering the two areas. He says towns such as Keighley, Ilkley, Bingley and Shipley are being used as a "cash cow" by Bradford Council for very little in return.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, the leader of Bradford Council, has hit back at Mr Moore, saying he is "attacking the place he is meant to represent". She also said his plans are merely "a political motion" with "no real prospect of success".

But many residents are growing increasingly concerned about what is happening to Keighley.

"I just don't think there's enough input from the people we elect into generating more for the town centre," adds Marcus.

"I dont think the council has done enough to help this place. I think more could have been done.

"I know theyre going for City of Culture in Bradford and a lot of money has been funnelled into that, but it's a waste. They need to need to put some money into the town centres.

"If they channel some of the money that they spend on vanity projects into Keighley, I think they could generate a lot more interest in people coming to town."

Just around the corner from Rossi's Cafe, Geoffrey Travers is helping out in his wife's wedding cake shop on North Street. He says the business, which has operated from the council-owned store for more than 10 years, has had practically "no help" from Bradford Council ever since it opened.

"Its totally, totally true," he says. "Bradford Council is absolutely useless.

"The council is so big that its got too many problems itself in the centre. Here on the outskirts, they just do whatever is necessary.

"We get very little out of it. I dont see how, with the size of Bradford Council and the way that its spread out, that Keighley will ever get much out of Bradford."

While he says Mr Moore's proposal for a new council is "a great idea", he thinks it would be incredibly difficult to implement.

"How they would afford it, I really have no idea. If you start setting up your own education, social services, as well as all the bureaucracy that goes with councils, youre talking about a colossal sum of money."

Bradford Council covers a large area stretching from Silsden in the north all the way down to Wyke in the south. Keighley lies towards the western-most extremities of the district.

While Bradford is by no means the largest council area in the country - ranking 109th out of 304 local authorities by size - Mr Moore claims the Keighley and Shipley constituencies "generate the highest revenue of tax to Bradford Council through our council tax and business rates payments", but claimed local public services were not distributed fairly.

Speaking in the House of Commons last month, he said: "Council tax, business rates are all sent from my constituency to Bradford City Hall with nowhere near the equivalent of those funds coming back to be reinvested in our area."

Josh Mitchell, 24, has lived in Keighley all his life, but told YorkshireLive he is concerned for the future of the town.

"Bradford Council doesnt treat Keighley as well as other places," he says.

"We need a lot more advertising. One example, the Christmas lights - we dont get anything here. Its a minor thing, but it does change a lot.

"A lot of people feel the same who live in Keighley. I dont know what it is, but we dont seem to be thought about as much as Bradford."

Margaret Coleman and her daughter Claire speak to YorkshireLive on a rare shopping trip in the town centre. They are growing increasingly concerned with the number of empty units.

"There used to be markets and late-night shopping on a Thursday," says Margaret. "You couldnt move in town for people.

"On the green, we used to have stuff for the kids.

"They need to get the shops opened up again to get people out. It is depressing. They dont care about Keighley. They never did."

"I dont think its that they dont care," adds Claire, "but I think they just don't want to spend the money in Keighley."

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Many business owners cite the closure of Marks and Spencer in 2018 as a marker for the town's demise in recent years.

"Keighley was a major shopping town," says Rob Harding, who has worked in Keighley Cartridges on Cavendish Street for 20 years.

"It used to bring people from all over the Dales, but once you lose a big thing like Marks and Spencer, its just been a decline of more and more shops closing.

"Its only takeaways opening now. It seems to be a shop closes down, a takeaway opens. Thats not a reason for people to come to Keighley. Its not going to attract people in for a days shopping."

Mr Moore's proposal was aimed at giving people in Keighley and surrounding towns a greater say in how their council tax is spent.

He proposed a Local Authority Boundaries (Referendums) Bill to MPs, which would allow two or more parliamentary constituencies to group together to create the boundaries of new local authorities if a referendum on the issue gains backing from more than 10 per cent of residents.

The government flatly rejected the Private Members Bill though, saying it had no safeguards to prevent new councils being set up on a party-political basis.

Communities minister Kemi Badenoch said: "It would be very, very sweeping indeed. So we would be concerned by a number of aspects of this approach.

"First, parliamentary constituencies may not be a sound basis for establishing the right level of service delivery, thats got to be a consideration. We also need to make sure the boundaries can be established only where there is a safeguard against anything that might lose the confidence of the local democracy."

While it's unlikely that Keighley will be able to form its own council any time soon, many people feel as though something needs to change.

"Having a local council would probably be a better idea, as long as that council works for the local people," says Marcus.

"Maybe more powers should be devolved into local areas, because if Keighley dies, this cafe dies. Its as simple as that."

In response to Mr Moore's proposal, Cllr Hinchliffe said: "The governments response to this MPs phoney debate in Westminster was quite clear. The Minister viewed it as a political motion, not one with any real prospect of success.

"It is however hugely disappointing that instead of championing the area, we have a Conservative MP who is new to Keighley, and spends his time speaking against us, attacking the place he is meant to represent. I want to assure residents that we, as a Council, will always stand up for the whole district and promote investment and opportunity here.

"Keighley is the focus of much of our high-end manufacturing in the district and were very proud of the growth and innovation that is happening here.

"We want to be one of the governments Levelling Up areas and Id welcome the MPs support for this ambition. We want to join Wolverhampton and Sheffield as one of the 20 areas, thats what Id really like him to focus on.

"Ive spent a lot of time talking to residents in Keighley on the doorstep recently, I can therefore say with complete certainty that residents are sick and tired of the Tory Government which Mr Moore represents. They feel let down and angry and have lost all trust now in the Prime Ministers ability to lead the nation through increasingly difficult times.

"We need a Government who is serious about delivering positive change for Keighley. We want action, not hollow Westminster debate."

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Yorkshire's very own 'Brexit' as towns demand breakaway referendum - Yorkshire Live