How Burley was Governed - (page 3 of 3)
_A campaign was set up in Ilkley to oppose union with Otley, and
after much debate for some five years, the West Riding agreed
reluctantly to allow Ilkley and Otley to have separate Urban Districts.
Burley, along with Menston, decided to join Ilkley, possibly as the
lesser of two evils. Burley was divided into two wards for the purpose
of elections to the Ilkley Council, and the first vote was held on
Saturday, 19th March, 1937.
Burley Urban District Council held its last meeting in the spring of that year. Councillor J.H. Foulds, who, at the age of 86, had been a Burley Councillor for 49 years and nine times chairman, did not seek election to the new Council. He had been one of its most outspoken members and had often represented the interests of small traders in the village. He had a sizeable constituency, since in the 1930s, there were many local craftsmen with small businesses and people remember that there were over sixty shop keepers, sited along the length of Main Street and in Station Road.
From this time, however, many people in Burley felt that the village had come to be dominated by outside interests. As Greenholme Mills could no longer provide secure long term employment, people had to look outside Burley for work, much more than in the past.
Post-war reforms and provisions of the Welfare State all had their effect on Burley, as much as elsewhere in the 1950s. The local schools became primary schools, and all children at age eleven went to secondary schools out of the village.
New council houses were erected by Ilkley UDC, adding to the stock built by Burley UDC in the 1920s. They included provision of flats for the elderly in Aireville Terrace and Grange Road. The Lawn was converted to sheltered accommodation.
Local doctors became part of the National Health Service and provided free health care to all who wanted it.
Scalebor Park Hospital provided services to a wider community and it became the main single employer, as Greenholme Mills went into terminal decline.
These changes in the village were emphasised by the reshaping of Local Government after the Act of 1972. The West Riding County Council and Ilkley Urban District Council were abolished. Ilkley was left with a Parish Council, having very limited powers, even though it covered over 20,000 residents living in Menston, Burley and Ilkley.
All the major spending on education, highways, planning, refuse disposal and social services, and the setting and collection of local taxes, came under the Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
Central Government was also increasing its power to control local government spending and services. The Grange, which up to this time had remained as a Council office and Library under Ilkley and the West Riding, now became part of Ilkley College, later to be amalgamated with Bradford College in the early 1980s.
From the 1960s local and national political movements have often been based in the assertion of community rights, and community politics has changed Britain's general approach to democratic government. The effect of this was felt in Burley too.
With the decline of local government power, mentioned earlier, Burley formed a Community Council in 1976. It is a non-party political voluntary organisation and has thrived on the new politics. As a useful intermediary between the village and statutory bodies, such as Bradford Council and Ilkley Parish Council, it has managed to improve village facilities particularly in publishing a Village Handbook and regular bulletins. It developed the village green, the annual Christmas Lights and various environmental improvements.
Regular meetings of the Community Council, supported by Bradford Council's Neighbourhood Forum policy, attract a good number of residents to discuss local affairs. It has been supported financially too by many generous donations and regular fund raising.
This has been taken further and after widespread consultation, a petition to have a Parish Council was put to Bradford Council, where it was supported. The Government announced that Ilkley Parish Council should be split to allow the creation of a Burley Parish Council. Elections were held in April 2006, and nine councillors elected (See the Parish Council pages).
The Community Council, having formulated a Parish Plan, will disband after the issue of Burley House Field is settled and the Burley–in–Wharfedale Community Trust has taken over its assets.
Burley Urban District Council held its last meeting in the spring of that year. Councillor J.H. Foulds, who, at the age of 86, had been a Burley Councillor for 49 years and nine times chairman, did not seek election to the new Council. He had been one of its most outspoken members and had often represented the interests of small traders in the village. He had a sizeable constituency, since in the 1930s, there were many local craftsmen with small businesses and people remember that there were over sixty shop keepers, sited along the length of Main Street and in Station Road.
From this time, however, many people in Burley felt that the village had come to be dominated by outside interests. As Greenholme Mills could no longer provide secure long term employment, people had to look outside Burley for work, much more than in the past.
Post-war reforms and provisions of the Welfare State all had their effect on Burley, as much as elsewhere in the 1950s. The local schools became primary schools, and all children at age eleven went to secondary schools out of the village.
New council houses were erected by Ilkley UDC, adding to the stock built by Burley UDC in the 1920s. They included provision of flats for the elderly in Aireville Terrace and Grange Road. The Lawn was converted to sheltered accommodation.
Local doctors became part of the National Health Service and provided free health care to all who wanted it.
Scalebor Park Hospital provided services to a wider community and it became the main single employer, as Greenholme Mills went into terminal decline.
These changes in the village were emphasised by the reshaping of Local Government after the Act of 1972. The West Riding County Council and Ilkley Urban District Council were abolished. Ilkley was left with a Parish Council, having very limited powers, even though it covered over 20,000 residents living in Menston, Burley and Ilkley.
All the major spending on education, highways, planning, refuse disposal and social services, and the setting and collection of local taxes, came under the Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
Central Government was also increasing its power to control local government spending and services. The Grange, which up to this time had remained as a Council office and Library under Ilkley and the West Riding, now became part of Ilkley College, later to be amalgamated with Bradford College in the early 1980s.
From the 1960s local and national political movements have often been based in the assertion of community rights, and community politics has changed Britain's general approach to democratic government. The effect of this was felt in Burley too.
With the decline of local government power, mentioned earlier, Burley formed a Community Council in 1976. It is a non-party political voluntary organisation and has thrived on the new politics. As a useful intermediary between the village and statutory bodies, such as Bradford Council and Ilkley Parish Council, it has managed to improve village facilities particularly in publishing a Village Handbook and regular bulletins. It developed the village green, the annual Christmas Lights and various environmental improvements.
Regular meetings of the Community Council, supported by Bradford Council's Neighbourhood Forum policy, attract a good number of residents to discuss local affairs. It has been supported financially too by many generous donations and regular fund raising.
This has been taken further and after widespread consultation, a petition to have a Parish Council was put to Bradford Council, where it was supported. The Government announced that Ilkley Parish Council should be split to allow the creation of a Burley Parish Council. Elections were held in April 2006, and nine councillors elected (See the Parish Council pages).
The Community Council, having formulated a Parish Plan, will disband after the issue of Burley House Field is settled and the Burley–in–Wharfedale Community Trust has taken over its assets.