"The cinema is not being outright sold"
Plus Nick Clegg is coming to town, Yorkshire Water CEO's extra pay questioned and how much cash was handed over to Bradford Council's councillors ...
Welcome to the latest edition of The Ilkley Journal roundup. It’s a new format. The idea is to give you a better perspective on what’s happening hyperlocally, across the district, from a constituency perspective and at county and country level. We think it’s an interesting way to see things. But it’s not the only reason for the change.
The other reason for it is that we’re looking to be more relevant to more people in West Yorkshire. While we’re based in Ilkley and proud to be part of and founded in our hometown, well over a year in – and recently on the back of a disappointing fundraising campaign – we’re increasingly of the opinion that Ilkley is too narrow a focus from a sustainable business perspective.
This line of thinking may also result in a mini rebrand – namely changing our name – and a subtle shift in what stories we cover, but we’ll keep you updated with any changes as they happen. What won’t change is our commitment to reporting stories that matter to you.
If that little intro has persuaded you to sign up as a paid member, then brilliant, good to hear, go ahead and please tap on the link below, where you can join with a chunky 60% discount to boot. Much appreciated.
LOCAL
Ilkley Literature Festival bags Nick Clegg for this year’s literary celebrations
Former Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is one of the big names that will feature as part of this year’s Ilkley Literature Festival lineup.
Clegg, whose most recent high-profile role was at Meta as the tech company’s president of global affairs, will be promoting his new book, How to Save the Internet: The Threat to Global Connection in the Age of AI and Political Conflict.
The publisher Penguin said that Clegg “sets out where big tech has gone wrong, how Silicon Valley’s insularity has blinded it to its missteps” and how “radical reform” is urgently needed to “secure a long-term future”.
Clegg, 58, has a Yorkshire connection – he was MP for the South Yorkshire constituency of Sheffield Hallam between 2005 and 2017. He unexpectedly lost his seat to Labour's Jared O'Mara in 2017 (whose tenure lasted until 2019 – he was later jailed for fraud in 2023).
Speaking to the Institute for Government in May, Clegg described how the coalition government of 2010–2015 had been “born at a time of economic and political turmoil”.
In a speech that didn’t mention austerity once, he said that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had been “a highly reformist government across education, the public sector, energy, fiscal policy, constitutional reform and more”.
The Ilkley Literature Festival runs from Friday 3 October to Sunday 19 October.
DISTRICT
Bradford Council councillors earned £1.75 million for the financial year 24/25
Councillors on Bradford Council collectively earned £1,752,993.16 between April 2024 and March 2025. According to our analysis, the total number of councillors receiving payment for that period was 104.
The figure represents a decrease from the previous year’s tally of £1,760,268.16 and likewise the year before that (it was £1,765,924.48) and the one before that (£1,787,557.83).
Susan Hincliffe, the Labour leader of Bradford Council, received a total of £50,519.52. This included a basic allowance of £13,463.16 (which is standard for all councillors) and a special responsibility allowance (SRA) of £37,056.36.
This figure has remained the same for 23/24, 22/23, 21/22, 20/21 and 19/20 (possibly longer, but we only went back five years).
According to Bradford Council, a SRA is paid to all councillors who have “significant additional responsibilities”. This includes being a member of the executive or a chair of a committee.
The allowance isn’t considered a salary. The Local Government Association describes it as financial compensation (which also includes expenses). It adds:
“This ensures they are not left out of pocket by covering costs such as travel to and from meetings and recognises the time devoted to council business on behalf of local people.”
Bradford Council welcomes improvement in NEET figures
Bradford Council has described its better than national average figures for the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) as fantastic.
The council cited figures published by the Department for Education that showed that 4.1% of 16–18-year-olds in the district were designated as being NEET compared to 5.6% nationally.
According to the data, this year’s figures show an improvement compared to last year, which classed 4.4% of young people in Bradford as not being in education, employment or training.
Imran Khan, deputy leader of Bradford Council and portfolio holder for education, employment and skills, said that the figures demonstrated that the “work we’re doing to support young people into education, training and jobs is making a real difference”.
He continued: “We’re monitoring and supporting more young people than ever before – around 16,500 – and doing so more effectively, thanks to better data, outreach and targeted support through our SkillsHouse partnership.”
The SkillsHouse partnership is made up of a number of organisations that are committed to helping people of all ages find training and work opportunities.
Led by Bradford Council, it supports young people with applications for further study or training, offers free sessions to develop skills and, among other services, helps find local work placements.
CONSTITUENCY
Historic cinema “clears up” reports it’s being put up for sale
The historic Keighley Picture House Cinema has described reports that it is being put up for sale as mistaken, referencing Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore’s “recent posts” that have suggested as much (e.g. “Bradford Council’s unbelievable decision to put our Keighley Picture House up for sale”).
The cinema explained that it isn’t being “outright sold and shut down” by Bradford Council and that the business will continue to operate as normal.
“This is an auction of the site we sit on and would likely mean a new landlord,” the cinema, which was founded in 1913, explained.
“Now … there can be a worst-case scenario … but a far greater likelihood is that our cinema will be largely unaffected. But this degree of uncertainty is why we do rely now more than ever on public support. So please, do come on down if you are able.”
Keighley Picture House Cinema added that it has survived many challenges and battles, from two world wars and two pandemics to recessions and “the threat of corporate greed” – and that it will fight “tooth and nail” to remain a part of Keighley’s entertainment offering.
According to numerous reports, the auction of the site has since been paused/suspended/withdrawn. Keighley Labour district councillors and Robbie Moore have respectively claimed credit.
Keighley Town Council Reform councillor Andrew Judson said: “You will find many parties trying to take credit for this. Then there are some of us who know the truth.”
Bradford Council is now in conversation with Keighley Town Council to discuss the future of the freehold. It added: “The business that operates Keighley Picture House is not up for sale as part of this process.”
COUNTY
Yorkshire mayors call for “urgent meeting” to discuss Yorkshire Water CEO’s “extra pay”
The mayors of West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, York & North Yorkshire, and Hull & East Yorkshire have asked for an “urgent meeting” with the chair of Yorkshire Water to discuss the “egregious, undisclosed payments” to the water company’s CEO.
In a letter to Vanda Murray, Tracy Brabin, Oliver Coppard, David Skaith and Luke Campbell said that it was “wholly unacceptable” that Nicola Shaw had, according to reports, received £1.3 million in undisclosed extra pay.
“The additional payments to Ms Shaw must be viewed against Yorkshire Water's consistent pattern of poor performance,” they said.
“A £40 million fine from Ofwat for excessive sewage spills, whilst the Environment Agency has awarded the company a "red rating" for pollution incidents. Not a single river in Yorkshire is considered to be in good overall health, with Ilkley Beach the most polluted waterway in the country.”
The letter was also signed by Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, Carl Les, co-chair of the Yorkshire Leaders Board, and Tom Hunt, chair of the sub-group on water.
In a separate letter to Murray, the Ilkley Clean River Group also expressed concern over the recent remuneration received by Shaw, as she “cannot be said to have been an effective CEO requiring rewards for environmental performance”.
Everyone is invited to Airedale Hospital’s annual members’ meeting
Members of the public, staff and stakeholders have been invited to attend Airedale NHS Foundation Trust’s annual members’ meeting to hear all about what the hospital has been up to and what it has coming up.
The meeting will take place in the hospital’s education centre on Wednesday 10 September at 4pm. It will be preceded by a showcase event that will provide “in-depth detail” on its plans for a new replacement hospital.
“We welcome this opportunity to share with everyone our progress, our challenges and our priorities for the future,” said John Lawlor, chair of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.
There will be free parking in the P3 car park for attendees who are also being encouraged to submit any questions they have via email or telephone (anhsft.corporategovernance@nhs.net and 01535 294540, respectively).
Airedale is one of 40 hospitals that feature on the New Hospital Programme and among 16 that have been prioritised for construction (which is set to take place between 2027 and 20280.
As one of many hospitals built using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), it has long been considered a serious safety risk. It is estimated that construction will cost £1 billion to £1.5 billion.
COUNTRY
National Drought Group gather to discuss England’s water shortfall
The National Drought Group, made up of organisations including water companies, the Met Office and the National Farmers’ Union, has met to discuss the “nationally significant” water shortfall in England
It comes on the back of the UK experiencing its fourth heatwave this year, which has resulted in droughts being declared in Yorkshire Greater Manchester Merseyside and Cheshire, the East Midlands, the West Midlands, and Cumbria and Lancashire.
The meeting saw representatives discuss water-saving measures they’re taking in response to the extreme weather conditions that have led to a depletion in reservoir and river levels.
Emma Hardy, the water minister, said: “Working with the National Drought Group, the government is urgently stepping up its response. Water companies must now take action to follow their drought plans – I will hold them to account if they delay.”
Yorkshire Water’s Drought Plan notes in its introduction that relatively recent droughts – 2018 and 2020 – have resulted in “new challenges not experienced in past droughts”.
Last month, Yorkshire Water welcomed the public’s response to the drier weather, highlighting that domestic water use in the region had decreased by 10% since it introduced a hosepipe ban in early July.
Dave Kaye, director of water at Yorkshire Water, added: “The hosepipe restrictions remain in place, and we recently enacted the next stage of our drought plan – the application for drought permits and orders – to manage the water resources picture in the near and longer-term.”
Political leaders need to unite in response to anti-immigration protests
Party leaders need to “unite” to play a bigger and more effective role in tackling the “pernicious and insidious currents of racism and hatred” that underpin anti-immigration protests, according to an open letter signed by an influential group of over 200 charities, trade unions and refugee organisations.
Some of the signatories include Amnesty International UK, Oxfam, Refugee Action, Safe Passage, Scottish Refugee Council, Women for Refugee Women and Doctors of the World.
“The responsibility to end the divisive politics, racist rhetoric and demonising language of the past is yours,” the letter stated. “Only then will you bring unity instead of division and cohesion rather than hate.
“Many of the people targeted have already suffered unimaginably, having fled for their lives from countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Sudan and Syria. Now, due to unacceptable delays and a broken system, they are housed in hotels, a collective target of hostility, banned from working, with limited control over their lives or futures.”
The letter was drafted in response to recent and ongoing anti-immigration protests, which have taken place across the country, namely outside of hotels that are housing asylum seekers.
Tim Naor Hilton, chief executive of Refugee Action, said: “The vicious and relentless attacks on people seeking asylum from some politicians and sections of the media using age-old racist tropes and shoddy data must stop now.”
According to Rescue, refugees in the UK make up less than 1% of the overall population.