Proposals by Bradford Council to shut Keighley's Household Waste and Recycling Centre have been dropped ahead of a council meeting next week.
The plan was put forward late last year as a measure that would save the council around £1.6m over the next two financial years.
Hundreds of local people commented on the plans via the council website and thousands signed a local petition against the closure of the site on Royd Ings Avenue.
Bradford Council now says that 'after taking public consultation into account, a decision has been made to keep the site open'.
Keighley MP Robbie Moore told Rombalds Radio “Today’s screeching U-turn from Bradford Council is a victory for the residents of Keighley and my thanks go to each and every one of the 7,311 residents who took time to sign our petition to Save the Tip, which I had the honour to present to Parliament last month.
“A huge thank you to community champion Laura Kelly, Councillor Martin Crangle and most importantly everyone who took time sign this petition - this is community spirit in action.
“But let’s be absolutely clear here. Labour run Bradford Council’s handling of the situation throughout has been a total and utter fiasco, and this U-turn need not have happened had Bradford Council listened to the people of Keighley from Day one.
”It is absolutely laughable to see Labour Councillors (and even the town’s former MP!) trying to take credit for putting out a fire that they started in the first place.”
In a Facebook post Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate and former MP John Grogan said: “This is a Valentines Week victory for all of Keighley - based, like many good political decisions, on compromise. Bradford Council‘s Waste budget is still being cut but the savings are being shared across the city and Keighley’s Tip stays open.
“I hope that before too long we will have a government which properly funds local councils so that some vital public services can be sensibly expanded rather than cut to the bone.”
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, executive for Healthy People and Places, said: “Thank you to the people of Keighley for responding to the Council’s consultation so that your voice was heard.”
Conservative Group Leader in Bradford, Councillor Rebecca Poulsen said: “This valuable community resource has been saved by the residents of Keighley and surrounding villages and they have every right to be pleased with their achievement. It just shows that people power can occasionally force the council to retain the front line services which are much valued by local people.
“The Conservative Group would like to thank everyone across Keighley for their efforts in getting the Labour Executive to U-turn on the closure that they had proposed”.
Bradford council's Executive will discuss the final budget proposals for 2023/24 next Tuesday (21st February) ahead of the full council meeting on Thursday (23rd) which will vote on the plans.
The council says the proposals focus on protecting key frontline services and investment in the services to support our most vulnerable children and adults and sustaining the capacity to deliver our ambitions for growth.
In a statement it said: "Previously agreed savings must continue to be delivered and new savings achieved, Council tax must increase in line with the Government’s own assumptions and the Council will have to use an unprecedented level of reserves. This situation cannot be sustained beyond the short-term. Reserves of £48m will need to be used to balance the budget in 2023-24."
It is proposed that Council Tax is increased by 2.99% and an Adult Social Care precept increase of 2% is levied in line with the expectations set out in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. Overall, it says Council Tax would still remain comparatively low compared to other West Yorkshire Councils and Metropolitan Councils. Bradford’s Band D Council tax is 8% below the average for Metropolitan authorities and 80% of households in Bradford district are below Band D. The most, therefore, that can be raised through an increase in Council tax in Bradford under the current threshold is £11m a year which is dwarfed by the scale of the challenges faced.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, said: “Times are incredibly difficult for the residents of our district and this proposed budget will continue to deliver vital services and also invest in services that are needed by our most vulnerable.
“Despite consistently delivering balanced budgets in previous years, the impact of spiralling inflation and rising demand has created a very challenging financial outlook. These pressures are compounded by repeated delays in national Government bringing forward promised reforms of Local Government finance which would deliver additional funding for Bradford District. We are having to use reserves at an unprecedented level and it is not sustainable going forward and also prevents us using this money to invest in other opportunities.
“In spite of the financial challenges, the district has huge potential for economic development and regeneration in the coming years. We have a young, increasingly skilled population, we are hosting a major national year of cultural celebration in 2025 and we have a significant number of investments being completed and announced in the coming months. We need the Government, through their budget, to support us in realising our ambitions and potential so we can contribute more significantly to the economy of this country.”
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