We are taking a phased approach by opening 16 car parks in the district’s popular beauty spots tomorrow (Thursday, 14 May) for members of the same household to visit together.
The guidance on exercise and visiting outdoor spaces means that people can now drive to any beauty spots to exercise or enjoy the scenery.
The following car parks will be reopened – but again should only be driven to by members of the same household:
Whetstone Gate, Keighley
Darwin Gardens,
Ilkley White Wells,
Ilkley Baildon Moor Top (Dobrudden)
Baildon Trig Point
Baildon Walkers Car Park
Penistone Hill – Dimple Lane
Penistone Hill – Moorside Lane
Penistone toilets
Esholt Village Northcliffe Park
Shipley Victoria Park ,Oakenshaw
Harden Moor main car park
Shipley Glen
Keighley Tarn
Hirst Wood
The opening of other car parks will be assessed and decided based on the public response to this first phase to ensure the safety and wellbeing of visitors, the local community and staff.
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Executive Member for Healthy Places and People, said: “The easing of restrictions will allow people to spend more time outdoors and gives us a wider choice of places to visit and activities to participate in.
“But we still need to exercise caution to stop the spread of this virus. We have to only go out or exercise with members of our own household and we still need to stay at home as much as possible.
“While it is now possible to meet outdoors with another person from outside our household, a two-metre distance absolutely has to be maintained.”
Another Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) is to re-open on Monday, 18 May.
Golden Butts in Ilkley will open between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, and from 8am to 4pm Saturday, and 9am to 4pm Sunday.
This will mean that five of Bradford Council’s eight Household Waste Recycling Centres will be operating from next week.
Midland Road, Bowling Back Lane, Royd Ings Avenue, Keighley and Dealbourn Road, Low Moor, are up and running.
Because of traffic congestion issues resulting from social distancing, only Dealbourn Road in Low Moor is able to admit vans – with a valid or recently expired van permit – and trailers, between the hours of 5pm and 8pm.
All other opening times and sites are for private cars with a valid permit only. Anyone without a permit will be turned away. People needing a replacement permit should contact Bradford Council.
HWRCs at Sugden End, Keighley, Dowley Gap, Bingley and Ford Hill, Queensbury, will remain closed for the time being due to staff shortages caused by redeployment and traffic management issues relating to social distancing.
Highway officers at Bradford Council have been able to instigate traffic management arrangements in Ilkley to manage traffic congestion around the site on Golden Butts Road.
If people follow the rules the issues are manageable, but if people ignore them – causing highway safety risks and problems for residents – the site may have to close again.
Bradford Council is asking people not to use Golden Butts if they can store their rubbish at home for a little while longer to reduce congestion at the site.
Information about opening times for all five HWRCs can be found on our website
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Place, said: “We are trying very hard to get our vital services back to normal without increasing the risk to health of our residents and staff.
“We thank people for their patience and ask them to try to avoid visiting HWRCs if possible at this time to allow a gradual resumption of normal service.”
Help keep our parks and grounds free of litter and dog poo
We are glad to see that, even though our museum and galleries are closed, people are still enjoying the green spaces that surround them.
But, to ensure that everyone can enjoy these spaces, please can visitors either take their litter home or put it in the bin. We have noticed a recent increase in littering.
The same applies for dog poo. So please pick up after your dog and dispose of it responsibly.
That way everyone gets to enjoy our green spaces. We suggest the same goes for our parks.
