A SCENIC rest spot on the outskirts of Oakworth has been given official protection thanks to Oakworth Village Society.

They have persuaded Bradford Council to make the Jubilee Garden on Keighley Road an Asset of Community Value.

The status means that the small roadside garden – believed to be owned by the council – cannot be sold without the community being given a chance to bid for it.

Jubilee Garden, which lies opposite Slaymaker Lane above Lidget, is popular with both local people and walkers due to its vantage point overlooking the Worth Valley.

A bench allows people to sit for a while, and there is also a flowerbed and a blossoming cherry tree on the paved area.

Village Society chairman Janet Armstrong MBE said the origins of the garden were unknown, but it might have originally been the site of a house.

She said: “The space has been there for over 50 years. People sit there and look across the valley, or have a rest after climbing up Lidget. In spring the cherry tree is really pretty, especially because it’s at the entrance to the village.”

In 2010 the Village Society gained money from the sale of Leeds Bradford Airport and carried out various improvements around the village, including the space on Keighley Road.

Janet said: “It was broken so we have the surface re-flagged, and put in a new seat, and a couple of bollards to stop people parking.”

The space was then given the name Jubilee Garden to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Keighley Area Committee, part of Bradford Council, this month agreed to make the garden an Asset of Community Value (ACV).

In its bid, the Village Society, said: “This area provides a pleasant sight as visitors and residents alike enter or leave the village. It is a green open space. Many times residents will sit on the seat, particularly if they have climbed the hill. The stone plaque is a reminder of work done.”

In a report to the area committee, a council officer said the area was maintained to a high standard by the Village Society.

He said: “The site improves the streetscape and provides a place to relax, to enjoy the view of the, Worth Valley, thereby enhancing social well-being.

Due to its ACV protection, if the garden ever goes on sale, the Village Society or other community groups have six weeks to express an interest, and a further six months to prepare a bid and negotiate with the owner.

The Village Society organises events in Oakworth that enable village organisations to raise money for themselves, such as the Gala and Christmas fair.

The society also organises the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Oakworth Park, and the annual memorial service to airmen who were killed when their plane crashed locally in 1944.