Bradford Council knows that making the district a cleaner, safer and greener environment is what matters to you the most.

BMDC

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These pages are being established to highlight the health and safety issues associated with the atrocious condition of two of the public highways in Silsden, namely Spenser Avenue and Hillcrest Avenue. These two roads run along the side and back of Silsden's only supermarket, the Co-op, and they are also access roads for the many residents who live beyond these streets. Spencer Avenue is lined with small, semi-detached bungalows, which were once ideal for the elderly and disabled.

May 2007

The 'spring' in Hillcrest Avenue has now been rectified - too late for the undermined road

The damaged pavement at the top left (and pictured below -2005) has been repaired by the owner.

Accidents are still occurring and the elderly still suffering.

Are homeowners really responsible for the damage caused by utility companies and those that are responsible for drainage?  Do such organisations not bother about unadopted roads and give priority and care to roads adopted by  Bradford Metropolitan District Council who may have more influence? Surely when BMDC took over the roads from the local council they took on the responsibility for those roads to the same level of the previous council which included the commitment to repairs that were funded by the Ministry of Defence (War Office).

The drains are still a problem.

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May 2006

The 'spring' in Hillcrest Avenue is now seriously undermining the road and pavement

Hillcrest Avenue, Silsden. Co-op top left. May 2006

It is also silting up the drains.

Hillcrest Avenue, Silsden. May 2006

Why are there double yellow lines on the Co-op side of this unadopted road?  This encourages drivers to park on the damaged side, often causing more damage.

Hillcrest Avenue, Silsden. Opposite the Co-op, May 2006

Which utility company damaged both Hillcrest and Spenser Avenues by digging trenches?

Hillcrest Avenue, May 2006

Spencer Avenue, May 2006

Does anyone on the council worry about this downward spiral towards a 'Third World' infrastructure?

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March 2005

Silsden. March 2005

For over five years, I have been aware of numerous accidents suffered by pedestrians because of the state of the  pavements in these two streets.  I have seen some of the resulting injuries personally, but I have been told that there have been many more. I feel morally obliged to bring awareness of the blatantly low prioritising of these streets by successive councils, both area and local, to a wider audience. I believe that it is only a matter of time before fall injuries, especially in the elderly, will contribute to a death.

Bradford Metropolitan District Council's executives seem to be smug in their knowledge that they can escape legal liability, if not moral responsibility, for these unadopted roads. Silsden Town Council chairman, Councillor Alan Edwards, told the Telegraph and Argus that the situation was getting worse and believed City Hall should make it a special case for Spencer Avenue to be adopted. Also, in the Telegraph and Argus, City Hall Councillor Andrew Mallinson (Cllr. for Craven, which includes Silsden) is reported to have said that there was no cash available to adopt streets. He has also failed to answer any of my e-mails to him, unlike Councillor David Emmott (Craven) who wrote to tell me about his support for the residents of Spencer Avenue over the last 8 years.

In 2001, it was stated in a Report to Bradford's Executive Committee, that Spencer Avenue was the sole access to significantly more houses in adopted roads (Appendix B) than any other unadopted road in the Bradford area. It is not appropriate for councils to give planning permission for new estates and then expect those that live on the sole access road to pay for its upkeep.

It would be a major step forward if the pavements were repaired with or without adoption. The pavements could be repaired without adoption using powers under Section 230(7) of the Highways Act 1980. The residents are not primarily concerned about the road.

It has been reported in the Guardian Unlimited that in Bradford the council used £65,000 of European funding in the 1990s to upgrade and adopt 70 streets. It has since reverted to the more usual position of requiring residents to pay for improvements.

Parliamentary candidate, Karl Poulsen, in an e-mail to me, indicated that he supports residents across the constituency who want to see something done about unadopted roads. Like others, he himself lives in an unadopted road and therefore does not necessarily see Spencer and Hillcrest Avenues as a special case. He believes that the key to making the necessary changes is by securing grant aid from Whitehall. This has already been tried and turned down by the current Government. Karl Poulsen's position is therefore consistent with that of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.

I am impressed by the amount of effort and money that Bradford Metropolitan District Council has put into self-congratulatory publications. In the March 2005 issue of 'Community Pride', we are told by Margaret Eaton, Council Leader, how they are "still improving the first-class local services across the district".

In a relatively recent campaign, Beryl Simister, a Silsden resident, highlighted the condition of these streets and the risks to local people. She was supported admirably by Ann Cryer MP.

All the documents relating to this extensive campaign have been made available to me. This site will provide a detailed record of the history of these two roads and the seemingly uncaring attitude shown by various authorities towards the residents of these and nearby streets.

• Is it true that the heavy vehicles that use Spenser Avenue have been employed by the Council and parked on Council-owned land accessed via Spencer Avenue?
• Is it true that funding initially allocated to highways ultimately found its way to numerous smaller causes, eg Christmas lighting?
• Is it true that the council houses accessed by Spenser Avenue were sold off by the Council to minimise their responsibilities?
• Is it true that local health professionals have been gagged from expressing their views?

These and many more questions will be considered following a detailed examination of the paperwork generously provided by Beryl Simister, and after taking appropriate advice. These pages are here to stay until this issue is resolved.

It is unreasonable to expect the residents to pay yet again for these streets to be made up. They did it first in 1938 only to find that the roads were used by tanks in the 1940s to access their parking ground. Compensation was paid by the Ministry of Defence but where did the money go? Later, planning permission was given for both council and private developments to be built with these roads as the means of access.

It is a question of being used and abused. The residents may have the legal responsibility but successive councils have treated the roads as though they were adopted without being willing to pay for their upkeep. Silsden residents may pay their council tax but they are being short-changed.

Surely it is unacceptable for Bradford Metropolitan District Council to declare dismissively that it has no money for adopting roads.  These two roads are quite clearly a special case.  It is only through neglect and complacency that they are in the condition that we find them in today.

Hillcrest Avenue, Silsden. Co-op top left, March 2005.

The Co-op once owned the above pavement. Why was it not required, as is usual practice, to repair the pavement when given planning permission to carry out building work? Is it the action of a (self-declared) socially responsible organisation to pass such a liability on to the next owner and leave the residents of Silsden at risk?

Silsden. Co-op top left, March 2005.

Perpetual water seepage as shown above is potentially a serious risk to health.

Spencer Avenue, Silsden, March 2005

Silsden's police station has now been sold.

But where will the money go?

Back to the streets of Silsden?

Silsden Police Station, March 2005

June 2005  A short distance along the road from the former Police Station, robbers forced their way into Silsden Post Office and tried to tie the postmaster up before stealing cash from the premises!!! 

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See also the Silsden  message board

USEFUL LINKS

Silsden

Silsden Forum

Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Councillor Information

www.thisisbradford.co.uk

Unadopted Roads in Bradford

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e-mail:  Dr.JohnWellshotmail.co.uk

This site has no political affiliation.

Should you find that anything stated on this site is factually incorrect, please let us know as we do not wish to mislead.

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Counter set June 2006