Community Council Projects
We started in the early eighties with the Fountain Area: repaving, raised flower beds, a bench and a renovated drinking fountain (though health grounds precluded its actual use). We followed, after exerting a lot of pressure on first Bradford Council and then the College to look after it properly, with the Roundhouse, refurbished and brought back into use in the mid-eighties. We supported a parallel scheme to create the Play Area in Grange Park.
Next came the Pudding Tree Garden, turning a derelict, dirt-strewn paddock into a beck-side garden, encouraging us to tackle the much larger project of creating a Village Green. After removing innumerable skips full of rubbish and undergrowth and digging up a section of road, we surfaced a road and a parking area, cleaned out the watercourses, paved a series of paths, planted trees, bushes and bulbs, erected fences, bollards and pillars and added an elegant foot-bridge and an abundance of benches.
Smaller projects have included the "Welcome to Burley" stones and the transformation of the Old Staithe in Bradford Road. In process are the installation of benches at the Hoppa bus stops and trees around the West Terrace car park. Spring bulbs have been planted throughout the village and our Christmas lights grow bigger and better each year. We hope to turn the Burley House field into parkland, but have not yet overcome all the obstacles.
None of this would have been possible without the support of the village, particularly the team who regularly, under the guidance of Tom Sumner, turn out to work, summer or winter, rain or shine, most Saturday mornings. The planning and co-ordination of supplies and contractors also rests with Tom, who is, with others, also involved in gaining money, approvals and publicity. We are grateful for guidance and grants received from Bradford Council and other official and commercial bodies.