The jewel in Bradford’s tourism crown is getting a much needed boost with a host of projects currently underway – but civic leaders say more investment is needed to keep tourists flocking to Haworth.

The historic village is undergoing a major transformation thanks to a project to revamp the picturesque Main Street and a £1.25m restoration appeal to renovate Haworth Parish Church, which is the burial place of the Bronte sisters.

English Heritage is also investing significantly in the village and the church, which it placed on its at risk register in 2010. The organisation has agreed to pay 80 per cent of the costs to repair the parish church roof, subject to match funding being found, and is offering 80 per cent grants to reinstate original features on shop fronts in Main Street.

It is also working with traders to identify cheap ways to improve the town’s appearance, such as removing advertising boards from Main Street.

Haworth Parish Council chairman John Huxley welcomed the boost in activity in the village but says much more investment is needed in future.

He said: “We are making good progress but there is much that still needs to be done. Bradford Council has got a decision to make about Haworth.

“For many years we have heard this phrase that we are the jewel in Bradford’s tourism crown but really and truly we need to understand what they mean by that.

“There needs to be a considerable investment in the village if it is to become an attractive proposition for tour providers.”

One of the biggest bug bears, he says, is parking.

Coun Huxley said: “There isn’t enough parking in the village and we have an issue with clamping at the Changegate car park.

“The people who run events in the village say coach companies are reluctant to come to Haworth because there isn’t an official drop off and pick up point or anywhere for the drivers to rest up.

“I understand what I am saying here will cost the Council some money but such is the pressure on Haworth now from tourism it really does need some investment.

“English Heritage have put their money where their mouth is and come up with 80 per cent funding for projects. I understand the issues the Council is facing but it would be wonderful if it could start providing the remaining 20 per cent when the economy improves in the future.”

Coun Huxley also claims Haworth needs a village manager to co-ordinate projects to improve tourism and preserve heritage. He said he hoped it could be something Bradford Council could provide but suggested the post could be funded by the parish council if there was no alternative.

He said the parish council had also discussed creating a Bronte quarter in and around Church Street with the Parish Church, the Bronte Parsonage Museum and the Old School Room to create a heritage trail for visitors to follow.

But he added the proposals could come to nothing if plans to build almost 1,000 houses in Haworth over the next 17 years, proposed in the council’s draft Local Development Framework, were approved.

“To start changing the landscape will make it difficult to attract investment to Haworth in the future and it will be difficult for Bradford to promote it as a tourist destination,” he said. “We need to take a big overall view of Haworth and a more strategic approach to it.”

The Airedale Partnership has been examining the overall economy in the Worth Valley and Haworth, including tourism, and is working with Haworth Parish Council on a masterplan for the future. The Partnership has helped secure English Heritage grants for the main street and enabled Bronte Parsonage Museum to temporarily have an artist in residence.

Dave Melling, rural programmes coordinator for the partnership, said: “Tourism has been around in Haworth for a long time but we need to take a step back and think about how is that doing at the moment, what can we do to make it better and what can businesses do for themselves.”

Despite the work being undertaken in parts of Haworth, an important part of its heritage still remains under threat. The Old School Room, built by Emily and Charlotte and Anne Bronte’s father Patrick, is in a bad state of repair.

Part of the roof collapsed between Christmas and New Year and the upper section of the building has now been declared unsafe and has been closed to the public.

Despite an upsurge of support for Haworth Parish Church appeal, at least £20,000 still needs to be raised in the next two weeks before English Heritage will release the grant for the first phase of work.

Averil Kenyon, chairman of Bronte Spirit – the committee tasked with saving the Old School Room – said: “The situation is dire now. We are waiting the outcome of a grant application to English Heritage but until we get some funds we can’t do anything with the roof.

“The whole area looks a bit sad at the moment and possibly the Old School Room is the saddest thing in it. If we do manage to improve the building it will have a knock-on effect for the whole area and enhance the visitor experience.”

Ms Kenyon said building owners Haworth Parish Church had given Bronte Spirit one year to begin repairing the building and they had less than seven months left to make progress. She said: “I don’t know what will happen if we don’t get the money. The building will have to be sold off. That would be a great shame.”

The Bronte Parsonage Museum, which is a hugely popular attraction, is also still reeling after it lost out in a bidding battle to get a rare Bronte manuscript which went up for auction last year.

The museum’s collections manager, Ann Dinsdale, says more investment is needed in the village. She said: “We are doing our best here to preserve the parsonage but the village is getting to look quite shabby. I think Haworth will continue to slide in the present economic climate unfortunately. There needs to be an investment commitment and economic masterplan needs to be drawn up but I don’t know if that can happen.”