FUNDING for Ilkley Moor could be at risk but there may be opportunities for "entrepreneurial bids" to boost tourism, claims a councillor.
Ward councillor, Anne Hawkesworth (Ind, Ilkley) is concerned that the iconic moor could miss out on money from the national LEADER funding for rural areas if the official boundaries of the South Pennines area are changed.
But changes by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) could also open the door for local schemes linked to tourism, she believes.
Councillor Hawkesworth said: "You could say there are mixed messages around the possibilities of bids from Ilkley. There are concerns that Defra have reduced the boundaries to exclude areas within Keighley constituency. A meeting with Kris Hopkins, MP for the area, is on the cards.
"I am also trying to unpick the detail. There could be opportunities for Ilkley residents to submit entrepreneurial al bids linked with attracting more visitors into the town and onto the moors."
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