PLANNING bosses have welcomed the ten-year management plan for Ilkley Moor

produced by Bradford Council's countryside service.

The plan outlines the objectives of the management of the moor over the next decade and proposes that officers undertake 130 specific actions to ensure the continued success of the 1,670 acres owned by the council.

The main objectives include conserving natural wildlife habitats, maintaining and increasing the heather, increasing wetland areas, controlling bracken, maintaining footpaths and preserving Victorian amenities on the edge of Ilkley.

The plan was produced to members of the Keighley area planning sub-committee last week and was accepted to go forward for public consultation.

Sub-committee chairman John Cope (Lab - Worth Valley) said: "This is the first proper management plan which has been drawn up for this valuable piece of moorland which is possibly the most famous moor in Britain.

"We are very conscious of the importance many local people and organisations attach to the moor. This is why we are keen to consult and receive opinions from as wide a range of people as possible."

Following public consultation the draft plan will be formerly adopted by the end of this year.

Reference copies of the draft plan will be available at libraries throughout the district so that people will have a chance to see and comment on it.

Ilkley Parish and District Councillor Anne Hawkesworth urged the countryside service to preserve the wild character of the moor and resist the temptation to turn it into an area of parkland.

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