Two key figures from the world of business have been chosen to lead the boards set to oversee the investment of up to £25m for the economic development of Shipley and Keighley.
By Damian Holmes
Town Deal Boards have been set up to draw up the ambitious plans which will help the two towns unlock the Government funding.
And both have already seen initial grant aid of £750,000 awarded for ‘quick fix’ schemes as part of an early release from the Town Funds central pot, including a number of small projects that will help with areas like transport infrastructure and local parks.
But longer term, the two boards will be aiming to pull together plans alongside Bradford Council which will then be put to the Government in a bid to unlock the £25m.
And with two experienced business leaders chairing the boards, both towns will believe they will present strong cases for the full amount of investment to be agreed.
In Shipley, Head of Operations at CarnaudMetalbox Engineering Adam Clerkin was appointed to chair the board earlier this year.
Adam is part of CarnaudMetalbox Engineering’s senior management team having worked at their Shipley head office for over thirteen years.
A keen cyclist, he is a regular user of the canal cycle path and competed in last year’s Bradford Dragon Boat Race as part of team Forti’s Force, helping to raise over £5,000 for the Lord Mayor’s chosen charities.
He will chair a board made up community, business and local leaders with the intention of drawing up ambitious plans to transform Shipley’s economic growth prospects.
The Town Deal Board will guide the Shipley part of the Towns Fund which is designed to “drive long term economic and productivity growth through investment in connectivity, land use, economic assets including cultural assets, skills and enterprise infrastructure”.
The board is made up of a group of stakeholders including the local MP Philip Davies, councillors, business representatives and local authority officers who have volunteered to support the development of an investment plan for Shipley.
Once an investment plan has been developed, the council will be in a position to negotiate with the government for a Town Deal of up to £25 million to fund its economic development plans.
Adam said: “I am very excited to be a part of the Shipley Town Deal and look forward to working with the board, council, local business and wider community over the coming months.
“The Shipley Town Deal offers a fantastic opportunity to deliver a lasting legacy for Shipley that will benefit the community for years to come.”
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “This is an exciting time for Shipley and the Towns Fund work will help develop and bring together some of the other projects being undertaken in and around Shipley such as the £1m Streets for People programme and the District Growth Fund that offers business rate relief when empty units are taken on.
“Shipley has always had an active business and volunteer community and CarnaudMetalbox are a great example of that and I’m delighted Adam has agreed to chair the board. It’s great we’ve been able to pull together such a strong board to really drive Shipley forward over the next year and beyond.”
In Keighley, Ian Hayfield, director of Hayfield Robinson Limited, has been appointed to chair the new board, with Steve Kelly, Principal of Keighley as deputy chair.
Ian Hayfield, director of Hayfield Robinson Limited
Ian has acted as a commercial chartered surveyor in Keighley and Bradford district for 25 years representing a large number of local, regional and national companies. He has advised small, medium and large firms on all property-related matters. Ian is in contact with a wide range of business owners on a daily basis and has acted for a large number of local and regional commercial land owners and developers .
And Steve has worked in the private, public and third sectors for over 30 years and has held positions in educational establishments including Director of Inclusive Education and SEND, Director of Student Services and Head of Learning in FE Colleges and Training Providers. Steve has run his own business working with national and regional bodies and has chaired a number of boards both in the private and public sector.
The board is again made up of stakeholders including the local MP Robbie Moore, councillors, business representatives and local authority officers who have volunteered to support the development of an investment plan for Keighley.
Ian said: “This is a chance for us all to work together to deliver real economic and social change for everyone. I want to bring all sectors of the community together to achieve the change I have touched on.
“I’m extremely excited to be appointed as chair and I know that my deputy chair Steve Kelly will be keen to listen to all the ideas that are presented to us and our fellow board members.
“In these testing and challenging times we all must concentrate on the positives – I know we can do it – I invite all of Keighley to join me on this journey to deliver a better future for the town.”
Steve added: “I am very honoured to be elected as Vice-Chair of the Towns Trust and am committed along with other board members to ensure that focus on what is right for Keighley.
“This is a real opportunity to make a positive change for the future bringing private, public and community organisations together. As Principal of Keighley’s College, it is important that we are at the heart of the community, providing skills, education and opportunities for all the citizens of the area to strive and prosper both in the medium and long term.”
Councillor Ross-Shaw said: “I’ve worked with Ian on the Keighley BID and Airedale Partnership boards and I know there’s no one more passionate about promoting Keighley and the good things that go on in the area.
“This is a great opportunity for Keighley to secure investment in the town and build on some of the things already taking place such as the Hard Ings road improvement. I’m looking forward to working with the board to deliver that.”
The work of the Town Funds initiative has already borne fruit, with the Government agreeing to release a package of grant aids for projects around the country as part of its response to the Covid-19 crisis.
That initial funding, announced in September, will see £1.5m in regeneration grants for regeneration projects in Shipley and Keighley, with each receiving £750,000.
It is intended to deliver shovel-ready projects and is additional to more substantial plans to invest £25m in the towns, said Bradford Council.
It wanted to ensure as many people as possible shared in the benefits of the scheme, so for both towns it selected a number of smaller projects for the submission.
Shipley Towns Fund project include:
A new path/cycle route Linking Shipley and Baildon to Saltaire (£72,000)
Investment in local parks including Northcliffe Park (£155,000)
Improved footpaths in Saltaire (£246,483)
Adding a new bus gate to Shipley Market Square (£40,000)
Improving CCTV in Shipley town centre (£54,000)
Developing small parklet spaces (£28,000)
Refurbishing Victoria Hall in Saltaire (£85,767)
Improved walking routes to local schools and other green spaces in Windhill (£25,000)
Bus shelters real-time information boards (£43,750)
Keighley Towns Fund projects include:
Better CCTV cameras in the town centre (£83,000)
Improvements to local parks including Cliffe Castle and Devonshire Park (£220,500)
Developing small parklet spaces (£36,050)
Investment in Keighley Worth Valley Railway (£86,000)
Equipment for the town’s Manufacturing Industrial Centre Excellence at Keighley College (£123,000)
New bus real-time information boards (£96,250)
A pocket park at Postman’s Walk (£90,000)
Creation of a community garden on Devonshire Street (£15,200)
Councillor Ross-Shaw said: “I’d like to thank our officers for putting together
such an excellent set of shovel-ready projects in a very short amount of time.
We’re delighted to receive this grant which will deliver significant
improvements to key heritage assets in Shipley and Keighley as well as our
parks and green spaces.”
The government has put together a website about the Towns Found Initiative and is encouraging local people to comment to inform the bidding process. Visit: mytown.communities.gov.uk
