PEOPLE have been urged to respond to a major consultation exercise to determine the future of a town’s controversial civic centre building.

The former police station building in North Street, Keighley, has been losing money since Keighley Town Council opened it as a police and forensic science museum in 2012.

Now the town council has started a consultation to find out what local people would like to see done with the extensively renovated property. This exercise, which is being run both online and in paper questionnaire form, begins today and will run until a deadline of September 7.

The new chairman of the Civic Centre Strategy Committee, Councillor Anayat Mohammad, said the town council currently spends about £180,000 a year to maintain the Civic Centre.

He added that this was probably the biggest issue hampering the council’s work at present.

“To be losing money of this magnitude is wholly unacceptable and given the unsustainable nature of the site a solution has to be found as quickly as possible,” he said.

He pointed out that the town council was now working hard to make sure it was listening to the wishes of people from across Keighley.

Part of this work has involved staging three public meetings, in an open format, last year.

More of these gatherings have been planned for this civic year as the council strives to be in touch with the electorate.

Cllr Mohammad said: “For too long the council has taken decisions that at times have been difficult to explain to the electorate.

“The ‘new council’, which I’m proud to be a part of, has identified two clear priorities.

“Firstly to engage with those who elect us, which means listening and entering into a meaningful dialogue, and secondly to ensure the town council is fit for purpose, which to my mind means we need to be capable of doing things the right way.

“Of course it’s easy to say ‘we’re not listening’, but the responsibility also lies with the public to engage in that conversation.

“Clearly we need as many responses to our consultation as possible.

“I hope the public will feel this is an important decision and an exercise that warrants their valuable input.

“I also hope that people will see this as the council doing its best to engage with residents, and doing its best for Keighley.”

The council has agreed to spend £23,510 to use a specialist company to conduct the consultation.

Cllr Mohammed said this was designed to make the process as transparent and professional as it can be.

Paper questionnaires are now being made available in council offices and other public buildings around town.

There are plans to hold stalls in local supermarkets and focus groups to reach out to every corner of the community.

The questionnaire can be completed anonymously.

To access the document, visit enventure.co.uk/keighleyciviccentre