AN MP has pledged to help Shipley health charity Hale seek new funding after Bradford Council withdrew £194,000 leaving it at risk of collapse.

The charity had to apply for new funding based on a contract stipulating it could not operate its community health bus or other projects in Shipley, where it has worked since starting 14 years ago.

It failed to get a new contract to work across Bradford district and has now lost £194,000, which is equal to two thirds its annual budget.

Shipley MP Philip Davies said: "The point I'd make is that nobody is arguing that health needs all across Shipley are as great as they are across other parts of the district.

"However, to say there are no health issues in Shipley, which is what Bradford council are saying by doing this, is totally unjustifiable."

He said the council seemed only to care about dense and widespread areas of deprivation within the district.

"People can be living in equal levels of deprivation in Shipley to anywhere else in Bradford, but live half a mile from high quality houses.

"Care should be given to people's individual needs - not withheld because someone lives half a mile from a nice house," Mr Davies said.

Mr Davies said there would undoubtedly be an angry reaction to the loss of local funding.

"Bradford Council seems to be making it clear they no longer want Shipley in the Bradford district," Mr Davies said.

"If they want us out, well I'm happy with that and we'll happily set up our own Aire Valley authority.

"What is particularly galling is the vast amount of receipts which Bradford gets come from my constituency and the Keighley constituency.

"This sort of thing is building up huge resentment."

Mr Davies met with Hale project manager Natasha Thomas on Friday and praised the charity for its work.

"It's won national awards, but the quality of their work seems to be irrelevant to Bradford Council."

Mr Davies said he would raise the matter with the government's public health minister Jane Ellison.

"Whose parents happen to live in the Shipley constituency," Mr Davies said.

Ms Thomas said she was delighted Mr Davies was to contact the Public Health Minister and said Hale had already written to 48 local businesses asking for support.

"We need to get some £50,000 to keep us going for six months until we can get different sources of funding established," Ms Thomas said.

"There is real deprivation in Shipley, it may be in small pockets, but there is a real need for us to be giving support," she said.

Bradford Council Leader, Councillor Dave Green, hit back at Mr Davies.

Cllr Green said: "Bradford Council represents every resident in the Bradford District and has a duty to supply services across the piece and we will continue to supply services to Shipley.

"If Mr Davies wants to pursue his own agenda, that’s fine, but he would be better off taking up offers to discuss wider issues for the district and the region," Cllr Green said.

A Council spokesman said local services were regularly reviewed to meet the changing needs of the local population within the constraints of a limited budget.