THE decision by Bradford Council to rescind the funding agreement it made with parish councils 30 years ago has quite unnecessarily stirred up a hornet's nest.

For one thing, any agreement between two parties should only be torn up after consultation between those parties, not simply announced after a unilateral change of heart by one of them.

Considering the amount of money received by Bradford Council from Ilkley in the form of Council Tax every year, the sum of £25,000 to run its own affairs - which includes a whole tier of local government - seems rather paltry. If the parish council was organised directly by City Hall it would be twice as ineffectual and cost ten times as much to run.

Parish councillors are understandably angry about Bradford's decision. Firstly, because they were not consulted and, secondly, because it means that more than a quarter of Ilkley's new precept money has been wiped out by administration costs.

Prompted no doubt by the new Keighley Town Council's demand for £150,000-a-year administration costs, Bradford has acted prematurely and hastily, with the result that relations have been soured once more.

Parish councillors in Ilkley quite rightly have begun to question Bradford's economic priorities and where money could be better spent.

Bradford's recent attempt to become European Capital of Culture 2008 has been brought up this week at a parish council meeting. City Hall has been unsurprisingly reticent about how much the failed bid has cost the taxpayers of the district. Ilkley does not see why it should bear the brunt of Bradford's profligacy without at least having a say in the process.