A DRAFT management plan setting out a vision for Ilkley Moor has been agreed and will go to public consultation this summer.

The moor is the largest outdoor resource owned and managed by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.

The council's vision identifies how it will conserve and enhance the moor's unique habitats including managing uncontrolled fire events, flood risk and water management and providing a home for protected species.

The plan through the council's Regeneration, Planning and Transport department sets out a plan for the moor over a 10-year period up to 2026. It overs the proposed approaches to managing the habitats and species, recreational and visitor activity and the historic and archaeological interests which co-exist on the moor.

This also includes grouse shooting which is currently licensed until 2018. This allows the Bingley Moor Partnership to shoot grouse for up to eight days per season.

Danny Jackson, Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) manager, said provision was being made in the plan for contingency measures in light of the recent referendum.

"There is some current funding in place from the EU through the Habitats Directive which is received through stewardships schemes. It is not yet known what effect the recent referendum will have on this or if there will be any gaps in stewardship funding," he said.

Since 2008, much of the habitat management work has been under the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agri-environment scheme. Beyond 2018, it is the council’s intention to explore the opportunities to enter into future agri-environment agreements so that continued funding for management for the moor can be secured.

There was no debate of what would happen beyond the 2018 shooting licence date though it was noted in the report that keepers' presence on the moor provided additional protection by spotting outbreaks of wildfire, unauthorised camping and other unwanted activity.

Julia Pearson, of Bradford Environmental forum queried the description that grouse shooting provided a food source because of its limited activity over the season. She also questioned the continued use of lead shot.

Mr Jackson said: "CROW was waiting for advice from Public Health England as lead shot is currently banned in wetland areas, but not on the uplands.

He also said that work associated with the shoot included heather and bracken management would have to be looked at by CROW, which currently does the bulk of access management, if shooting was stopped after 2018.

Members of the Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee voted to approve the final draft which will now go to public comment and be referred back to committee to approve a final version prior to being signed off by Natural England.

Luke Steele, spokesperson for Ban Bloodsports on Ilkley Moor (BBIM) said: "We believe the public should decide whether grouse shooting should be banned on the moor and they can have their say through the public consultation."

No date has yet been announced for the consultation to start.