Ben Rhydding resident David Nunns has been selected to stand as the Conservative candidate for Ilkley and Ben Rhydding in the Bradford Council elections this May.
David has lived in Ben Rhydding for over 40 years and raised his children and grandchildren in the town. He previously contested the seat in 2021, when he came just 151 votes away from winning. Later that year he was elected to Ilkley Town Council and has served as a town councillor for the last two years.
Recently David organised a petition to save the P98 and P99 primary school bus services, which are currently threatened to be withdrawn from September. The petition was signed by nearly 600 people and has now been submitted to Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
David said: “My first priority is to stop Bradford Council from imposing over 100 speed bumps across Ilkley and Ben Rhydding. They need to listen to what residents said in the recent consultation. I believe the majority would support targeted 20mph limits and road safety measures, but not blanket use of speed bumps.
“I also want to use my professional experience as a chartered surveyor to scrutinise planning applications. I strongly oppose Bradford’s Local Plan, which would see 285 houses built on Ben Rhydding greenbelt land. I will argue for a brownfield-first policy and sufficient investment in local infrastructure to cope with the development which is already taking place throughout the Wharfe valley.”
After four years representing Ilkley and Ben Rhydding, current Conservative Councillor Kyle Green is standing down in May due to ill health.
Councillor Andrew Loy said: “I am delighted to be supporting David Nunns as the Conservative candidate for Ilkley and Ben Rhydding.
“It has been a privilege to work with David on the town council and I know he will work just as hard holding Bradford Council to account. He has already demonstrated his expertise and hard work as vice chairman of the town council planning committee. I look forward to working with him on important issues such as tackling anti-social behaviour at the riverside. It was disappointing to see Labour and the Greens oppose our plan to address this issue in recent months.
“I also want to thank Councillor Kyle Green for all the support and indispensable guidance he has given me. I wish him a speedy recovery.”
